THE PRESS MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1979. Murder of a politician

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 18

THE PRESS MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1979. Murder of a politician

At the level of common humanity the murder of Mr Airey Neave, a Conservative member of the British House of Commons, is horrifying. The man’s car had a bomb placed underneath, triggered to detonate when the car was being used, and the result was that Mr Neave died after being severely wounded.

That the murder had a political motive makes is no less horrifying. Even if, as seems likely, Mr Neave was killed because he might have become Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the motive approaches the irrational. The Conservatives have not yet won the election and their leader, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, has not announced who will be in her Cabinet if they win. Mr Neave appears to have been murdered on a series of assumptions. The Irish Republican Army has claimed responsibility

for the murder; it is likely to be hard put to it to explain away this last piece of senseless violence. The predictable response among Conservatives, and possibly others, will be to strengthen the demands for a return of the death penalty for such acts. Because the murder has occurred during an election campaign, the argument about the death penalty may become an issue. That would be unfortunate. At the very least the murder will strengthen the resolve of both the major British parties not to allow the Northern Ireland problem to be settled according to the lights of the I.R.A. One unfortunate result of the murder would be if bodyguards and other elements of force were employed widely. Britain has so far survived without that. It would be good if it could continue to do so.