Zara Sultana Ordered to Leave Commons After Heated Exchange Over Legal Funding for Former Soldier


Labour MP Zara Sultana was asked to leave the House of Commons on Tuesday after a tense and disorderly exchange during a debate on government funding for legal representation in historic military cases.
The incident followed Sultana’s intervention on the Ministry of Defence’s decision to fund the legal defence of a former soldier, widely known as “Soldier F”, in proceedings connected to the Bloody Sunday inquiry. She criticised the level of public money being spent on legal support for former service personnel involved in historic cases, arguing that the current approach risks creating what she described as an unequal justice system.

During her remarks, Sultana questioned why millions of pounds of public funding were being used for legal representation, and said she believed existing legal aid arrangements should be sufficient. Her comments prompted loud reactions from MPs across the chamber.
As interruptions and exchanges escalated, the Speaker intervened repeatedly to restore order. After further disruption, Sultana was instructed to withdraw from the chamber for the remainder of the sitting.
The Ministry of Defence has previously stated that it provides legal support to current and former service personnel involved in official investigations and inquiries arising from their service, in order to ensure fair process and proper representation. Government sources have argued that such support does not interfere with the independence of investigations or judicial proceedings.

The Bloody Sunday inquiry, which examined the killing of 14 unarmed civilians by British soldiers in Londonderry in 1972, remains one of the most sensitive and complex legacy issues in Northern Ireland.
The incident in the Commons reflects continuing political tensions over how historic military cases should be handled, how legal costs should be funded, and how the government balances accountability with support for veterans and serving personnel.