Ben Lowry: The IRA murder of Ian Gow MP really was futile, and vindictive

It is often said that terrorism and its murders are futile.
By Ben Lowry
Published 1st Aug 2020, 08:32 GMT
Updated 1st Aug 2020, 11:32 GMT
Ian Gow MP for Eastbourne with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher MP in the 1980s. The IRA justified killing him by saying he was an architect of British oppression yet the tiny Tory MP rebellion over the Anglo Irish Agreement in 1985 of which he was part had shown how little influence he had on NI policyIan Gow MP for Eastbourne with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher MP in the 1980s. The IRA justified killing him by saying he was an architect of British oppression yet the tiny Tory MP rebellion over the Anglo Irish Agreement in 1985 of which he was part had shown how little influence he had on NI policy
Ian Gow MP for Eastbourne with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher MP in the 1980s. The IRA justified killing him by saying he was an architect of British oppression yet the tiny Tory MP rebellion over the Anglo Irish Agreement in 1985 of which he was part had shown how little influence he had on NI policy

If only that was so.

The IRA murder of the lawyer Edgar Graham, for example, was literal terror — to terrify bright unionists away from politics.

We will never know how many promising young people were put off politics by that killing in 1983, but I do fear republicans achieved some of their aim that day.

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Much changed politically between that slaying and the 1990 murder of Ian Gow MP (the 30th anniversary of which was this week).

Chief among them was the UK capitulation in 1985 to an Irish state that did little to stop IRA murderers, before and after that Anglo Irish Agreement. Mr Gow was the only minister brave enough to quit.

The IRA justified the killing by saying he was an architect of British oppression. Yet the tiny Tory MP rebellion over the AIA betrayal had shown, sadly, how little influence he had on NI policy. His murder really was futile — and vindictive.

Many of us find the views of some politicians abhorrent. We might dislike those views so much that we come to dislike the holder. But only barbarians then try to harm, physically, the said person.

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Mr Gow was an easy target who spurned protection. His name and address were in the phone book.

If the UK wanted to balance legacy, and the millions spent on cases such as the vile murder of Pat Finucane, it would investigate types of IRA violence that will never lead to criminal justice, including murders of politicians, lawyers and judges.

• Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter deputy editor

• Ben Lowry: If London does care at all about Northern Ireland, it needs to act to help unionism — and fast

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Related topics:IRABen LowryNorthern Ireland