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Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has faced strong criticism after sharing a video on social media opposing changes to the Legacy Act. The clip controversially included historical footage from Bloody Sunday, depicting soldiers entering the Bogside area of Londonderry on 30 January 1972. This was a tragic event during which British troops shot dead thirteen civil rights protesters.
The video, posted on Badenoch’s X account and other Conservative platforms, was quickly removed after backlash from political figures and community representatives. A spokesperson for the Conservative Party apologised for the footage’s use, stating, “We apologise for the inclusion of this material, which should not have been used and will not be used again.” The party stressed the video was taken down “as soon as we were made aware of the footage.”
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) called the use of the material “disgusting and disgraceful.” He expressed shock that Badenoch had chosen to showcase the service of British soldiers using images linked to such a deadly and sensitive incident. Eastwood emphasized that the political message appeared to prioritise the interests of soldiers rather than those of victims, calling on Badenoch to apologise directly to the families affected by Bloody Sunday. He highlighted the lasting pain endured by the victims’ families, referencing former Prime Minister David Cameron’s 2010 apology for the soldiers’ actions that day.
Tony Doherty, chair of the Bloody Sunday Trust and son of a victim, described the use of the footage as “grossly insulting” to both the families of those killed and the community of Derry. The legacy of Bloody Sunday remains a deeply emotional issue, with the 2010 Saville Inquiry having found that none of the individuals shot posed a threat justifying the use of lethal force. While a former paratrooper known as Soldier F was acquitted of murder and attempted murder related to the incident in October 2025, the wounds left by that day continue to resonate. The controversy over Badenoch’s video has reopened debates about how Northern Ireland’s troubled past is remembered, especially as government reforms aim to address cases connected to the Troubles
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