Kemi Badenoch Apologises for Use of Bloody Sunday Footage in Veterans Video

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has apologised for a social media video that included footage from Bloody Sunday while criticizing Labour's proposed changes to Northern Ireland legacy legislation. The video, posted on Tuesday, opposed a bill that Badenoch said would subject elderly veterans to repeated court proceedings for events from decades ago.

It was removed on Friday after the party became aware of the footage. Badenoch stated that she did not approve the video and blamed the inclusion on young staff who failed to identify the clip. The footage depicted soldiers entering the Bogside area of Londonderry on January 30, 1972, during an event where British soldiers shot 26 people, killing 13 civil rights protesters immediately and one more four months later.

>"I have apologised. I did not sign off the video. He welcomed the party's apology but urged Badenoch to personally apologise to the survivors and families of Bloody Sunday victims. The Conservative Party issued a statement on Friday, confirming the video's removal and apologising for the material's inclusion.

The video appeared on several Conservative Party social media platforms and Badenoch's X account before its deletion. Badenoch made her comments during a visit to a hairdresser in south-east London on Saturday. The Legacy Act had provided protections for Troubles-era veterans, including immunity from certain inquests and civil actions.

Labour scrapped it, citing incompatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights. On Monday, MPs voted 279 to 176 to carry over the bill into the next parliamentary session, with Labour, Green, SDLP, and Alliance MPs supporting the motion. Conservative MPs, along with Reform UK and Liberal Democrats, voted against it.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn stated that the bill would offer veterans protections such as no repeated investigations, no cold-calling, consideration of age and welfare, and options for remote and anonymous evidence.

Sunday, also known as the Bogside Massacre, occurred on January 30, 1972, during an anti-internment march in Londonderry. British paratroopers opened fire on civil rights demonstrators, shooting 26 people. Thirteen died on the day, and another man's death months later is considered by many as the 14th victim, though formally attributed to a brain tumour.

The 2010 Saville Inquiry concluded that none of the casualties posed a threat justifying the shootings. In October 2025, a former paratrooper known as Soldier F was acquitted of murdering William McKinney and James Wray, and attempting to murder five others.

The bill has faced criticism from parties and victims' groups in Northern Ireland. London and Dublin agreed on a joint framework in September 2025 to replace the previous legacy legislation. Badenoch argued that the changes would drag veterans back to court for actions often directed by now-deceased political leaders.

The government has noted pressure from veterans and some MPs who believe the protections are insufficient.