The death of former IRA commander turned deputy first minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness (pictured) has been welcomed by the British Conservative Party politician Lord Tebbit.
Lord Tebbit, whose wife Margaret was left paralysed by the IRA in 1984 after the terrorist group planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, said the “world is a sweeter place” as a result of McGuinness’ death from a heart condition at the age of 66.
The bomb, which was intended to murder Margaret Thatcher, killed five people and injured 31 others. Lord Tebbit, 85, only just survived the late night attack himself.
Today he said McGuinness turned peacemaker only because he wanted to avoid being charged with murder through his leadership of the IRA in the 1970s. When asked about the role McGuinness played in the Northern Irish peace process of the 1990s, Lord Tebbit said: “You might just as well say that if Himmler had succeeded Hitler and wiped out the Jews it would have removed the problem and there could have been peace in Europe.”
Lord Tebbit said: “I’m just pleased that the world is a sweeter and cleaner place now. He was not only a multi-murderer, he was a coward. He knew that the IRA were defeated because British intelligence had penetrated right the way up to the Army Council and that the end was coming. He then sought to save his own skin and he knew that it was likely he would be charged before long with several murders which he had personally committed and he decided that the only thing to do was to opt for peace. He claimed to be a Roman Catholic. I hope that his beliefs turn out to be true and he’ll be parked in a particularly hot and unpleasant corner of hell for the rest of eternity.”
And the younger sister of an IRA bombing victim also claimed “the truth has died” with McGuinness’ s death.
Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine was murdered by the IRA in 1974 after it planted a bomb in a pub in Birmingham, said relatives of many IRA victims were still waiting for “truth and justice”. Ms Hambleton said: “He was very opaque and selective with the truth. With him the truth has died and that’s the big problem.”
