B

Baroness O'Loan (CB)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 10 December 2025

Debate

Northern Ireland Troubles: Operation Kenova

Contribution

My Lords, I served on the steering group for Operation Kenova. The Secretary of State said yesterday of the NCND policy that “in a small number of cases it has been set aside for particular reasons”.—[Official Report, Commons, 9/12/25; col. 172.] MI5 knew about Stakeknife’s recruitment from the outset. It knew his identity, his role within the IRA and about his involvement in abduction, interrogation and murder. It knew that murders could have been prevented had his activities been terminated earlier and action taken by the state. Families know that their loved ones were murdered by a man who was allowed to carry on murdering by agents of the state. He is now dead. His identity is known worldwide; it is running in newspapers across the world today. Does the Minister agree that this situation constitutes “particular reasons” and that regardless of any judgments yet to come, Stakeknife should be named now?

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