30/09/2009

Tory Peer's Anger At McGuinness

A former Conservative MP seriously injured in the 1984 IRA Brighton bombing has criticised Labour for inviting Martin McGuinness to its party conference.

Norman Tebbit - whose wife was left permanently disabled by the blast - said it was "inappropriate" for the Sinn Féin Deputy Leader to visit Brighton just weeks prior to the 25th anniversary of the attack.

Five people were killed when an IRA bomb detonated at the Grand Hotel during the Tory party conference. Lord Tebbit (pictured) was pulled from the rubble after the deadly bombing which unsuccessfully targeted the then PM, Margaret Thatcher.

On Monday night, Mr McGuinness, Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, attended a fringe event at the hotel, organised by the Guardian newspaper.

The next day he spoke at another fringe meeting.

Responding to Mr McGuinness's participation in Brighton this week, the former Thatcher government minister Lord Tebbit said: "I do not think it is appropriate that he is not in prison."

He said: "I assumed he [McGuinness] had gone there to have a look to see why the plan failed. I would imagine that he is curious.

"He has been made a minister in the government of part of the United Kingdom, by the Labour Party, by the Labour Government.

"They presumably love him and admire him."

Mr McGuinness has admitted to once being in the IRA, with many polticians suggesting he was part of the terrorist organisation's leadership.

(PR/BMcc)

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