A new report from the Northern Ireland affairs committee concludes that revealing the identity of Stakeknife would be strongly in the public interest and help build trust and confidence in the agencies of the state among all communities.

Stakeknife has been named in media reports for decades as Freddie Scappaticci, but the final report from the long-running Operation Kenova investigation did not name him due to the UK’s long-standing “neither confirm nor deny” (NCND) policy.

Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn has said the government is considering its position on naming Stakeknife following a UK Supreme Court judgment related to the disclosure of intelligence information in the case of the murder of Paul Thompson.

Today’s report says that the Northern Ireland affairs committee has been reassured that formal identification would not put any active agents at risk, discourage existing agents from continuing their work, or deter the recruitment of new agents. 

Naming Stakeknife would also indicate to agents guilty of conduct beyond acceptable limits that they will not be protected or shielded from the consequences of their actions, the committee concludes.

Committee chair Tonia Antoniazzi said: “As Operation Kenova’s final report makes clear, the ongoing refusal to confirm or deny Stakeknife’s identity is having a profound and lasting effect on victims and their families who have already been through so much.

“Given the reassurances we’ve heard that active agents won’t be put in harm’s way and future recruitment won’t be compromised, formal identification in this specific instance is appropriate, proportionate and in the public interest.

“By naming Stakeknife, the government can send a strong signal that agents who cross a line will not receive the protection of anonymity and help to build trust and confidence across all communities in Northern Ireland.”

The committee also recommends that the government should review, in consultation with MI5 and PSNI, the application of NCND in all legacy-related cases.

It also plans to monitor government progress on the implementation of Operation Kenova’s other conclusions and recommendations.