Ian Gow
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Ian Reginald Edward Gow (February 11, 1937 – July 30, 1990) was a British Conservative politician and a solicitor. While serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Eastbourne, he was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).[1]
Gow, a member of Margaret Thatcher's government, was persuaded by the speeches of his cousin Nicholas Budgen to resign in 1985 as Minister of State in HM Treasury over the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. He was a staunch Unionist.[2]
On 21 November 1989, Gow made history by becoming the first person to speak in the House of Commons with television cameras present. Gow's speech was packed with his notorious dry humour and was well received by the chamber and television viewers alike.
On July 30, 1990, the Provisional IRA left a bomb under the driver's seat of his car; at 08:39 the bomb went off, leaving Gow fatally wounded.
Despite this major set-back to the Northern Ireland peace process, politicians on both sides remained determined to find a peaceful solution to the Troubles.
Gow married Jane Elizabeth Packe in 1966. They had two sons, James and Charles. After his death, his widow was appointed a DBE in 1990 and thus became Dame Jane Gow. In 1994, she re-married, Lt-Col. Michael Whiteley, and is now known as Dame Jane Whiteley. Dame Jane continues to promote the life and work of her first husband.
When his seat in the House of Commons was succeeded by David Bellotti, a Liberal Democrat, Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe sent a message to voters saying that the IRA would be "toasting their success".
[edit] References
- ^ "1990-92: Start of the talks process", BBC Online Network, March 18, 1999.
- ^ "On this Day, 15 November", BBC News.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Sir Charles Stuart Taylor |
Member of Parliament for Eastbourne February 1974–1990 |
Succeeded by: David Bellotti |
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This article about a Conservative Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Categories: Wikipedia articles needing factual verification | 1937 births | 1990 deaths | Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies | Conservative MPs (UK) | IRA murder victims | Assassinated British politicians | Terrorist incidents in the 1990s | UK MPs 1974 | UK MPs 1974-1979 | UK MPs 1979-1983 | UK MPs 1983-1987 | UK MPs 1987-1992 | Conservative MP (UK) stubs
