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Armed Forces Bill

It is not for me to speak about the legality of Adolf Hitler’s war, but it is certainly for me to stand up for soldiers. Having spoken anecdotally to several forces personnel, it would seem that few of them know much about the rights of conscientious objection. The Bill will set as a benchmark, for going absent without leave, viewing war as unjust or even changing one’s mind, the penalty of life in prison. As the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) pointed out, desertion has trebled since the Iraq war. The USA has about 6,000 people going AWOL.