Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Ten 20170321

Also tonight Security Alert Electronic Devices will be banned and north african countries. Food and fuel prices are blamed for a sharp rise for more than three years. And the man who created inspector morse, the writer colin dexter, has died at his home in oxford at the age of 86. And coming up in Sportsday On Bbc News Gareth Southgate says striker jamie vardy is in a good frame of mind, despite the leicester striker receiving Death Threats following the sacking of claudio ranieri. Good evening. Tonight following the death of Northern Irelands former deputy he was 66. The ira commander turned Peacemaking Politician was thought to be suffering from a rare heart condition. Leading figures in the Peace Process paid tribute to the role he played in securing the Good Friday Agreement. Buckingham palace said the queen, who finally shook hands with him in 2012, was sending a private message to his widow. The families of some of the iras many victims said they could neverforgive him. Our ireland correspondent Chris Buckler reports. In the streets once scarred by sectarian conflict, Martin Mcguinnesss body was carried home. Was here in Derrys Bogside that it was here in Derrys Bogside that his own of it was here in Derrys Bogside that his own of Irish Republicanism his. Own brand of irish reuublicanismi formed amid the of was formed amid the turmoil of unrest, and he a was formed amid the turmoil of unrest, and he a legacy of unrest. And he leaves. A legao. of ~ ~ , contradictions. He will be remembered as both the Ruthless Paramilitary and a committed peacemaker. A pioneering piece and pioneering outreach, martin went beyond what was expected of him. He all the time set the bar very high. You cant ignore the. All the time set the bar very high. You cant ignore the violence you cant ignore the violence whenever you look at his life, can you . And i dont try to. I you . Lines see i serfs sis tea i try you . Lines see i serfs if . Tei i try to. You . Lines see i eleifi if . Iei i try to. And martin dont try to. And Martin Mcguinnesss personal history is tied to Northern Irelands troubled past. During years of irish oast. During. Years of irish violence, you was one of republican violence, you was one of the faces of. Iras leadership. Has changed considerably the i has changed considerably the young changed considerably the young man |ged considerably the young man who considerably the young man who cons a erably from the Young Marrwhorusedra around from the Young Marrwhorusedra around the no go from the Young Marrwhorusedra around the no go areas of swagger around the no go areas of asa swagger around the no go areas of as a mantra the lendenderryesamentrethei ~ ~ ~ i i ~ provisional lendenderryesamentreiihsiii ii ii ii i i ii Provisional Ira doubt. Born in Lendenderryssamentreiihsiii Ii ii ii i i ii Provisional Ira doubt. Born in derry into a large catholic family, mcguinness came. Age as the mcguinness came of age as the troubles deepened. He joined the ira, quickly rising through its irquuickly rising through its ranks. What had started as a fight for civil rights had become a vicious battle, and the ira appeared to have a ruthless for to have a ruthless disregard for life. Were life. Republicans wererespensible many life. Republics Ns Wererecpensible many notorious attacks, for many notorious attacks, including bombing brightons grand including bembingbrighlene greed the including bembiegibrigelees greed the conservative hotel during the conservative Party Conference in if; lord hotel during the conservative Party Conference in if; lord h and conference in isbii; iord tebbit and i his wife margaret were seriously his wife Mergeretwere Serieuslu today, i said he hoped injured. Today, he said he hoped Martin Mcguinness was nowm in Martin Mcguinness was now parked in a hot and a particularly hot and unpleasant coin of hell. He knew that the ira coin of hem es sass islm been penetrated to its highest had been penetrated to its highest levels. Had been penetrated to its highest levels and had been penetrated to its highest leyels and that had been penetrated to its highest w and that before had been penetrated to its highest leyels and that before long, he i. I . heme been arrested and heme been errested end cherged would have been arrested and charged some of the many murders which with some of the many murders which he personally committed. So he opted for the cowards way out and said, oh, im a man of peace. Martin mcguinness did see opportunities at the ballot box for sinn fein. The Political Party linked to the ira. It even them, the language of threat remained. We dont believe that winning elections will win the freedom of Northern Ireland. At the end of the day, it will be the ira that will bring freedom. But after yea rs of that will bring freedom. But after years of killings and chaos, in the 19905, Ira Years Of Killings and chaos, in the 1990s, Ira Ceasefire is offered the opportunity for talks between unionists and republicans. Would you like to shake hands . I am prepared to. When there are no guns. There are some people who will always remember him as a man of war and who can never forget the violence of his years. But for those of us who early years. But for those of us who helped put together the Northern Ireland Peace Process with him, we i remember his legacy as. Man i geese martin s legacy as. Man i geese Martin Mcguinness. Man i geese Martin Mcguinness was nan i geese Martin Mcguinness was one of peace. Martin mcguinness was one of peace. Martin mcguinness was one of the key negotiators in the long of the key Negotiater S Ie The Leng of the key Negotiater S Ie The Leng of deal making that led to nights of deal making that led to the Good Friday Agreement and eventually the huge achievement of power sharing at stormont. That government brought together at its head the Unlikely Partnership of two heed the Unlikely Partnership of two fermev heed the Unlikely Partnership of two me enemies, head the Unlikely Partnership of two me enemies, ian paisley and former enemies, ian paisley and martin the firebrand Martin Mcguinness. The Firebrand Unionist and Radical Republican became so close that they were nicknamed the brothers. That nicknamed the chuckle brothers. That remarkable journey is something which is incredibly important. I must say i a which is incredibly important. I must £5 a christian, as a person must say as a christian, as a person who reflects on life, it is not how you start your life, what is important is how you finish your life. There were republicans who continued to threaten that political qty fie 11 q e eff if. £243. 52 fl itfi iefi ieiql filial progress, but qty fie 11 q e qed if. Iediee fl itfi die edi ifjjiei progress, but when a qty fie 11 q e qed if. Iediee d itfi die edi ifjjiei progress, but when a police qty fie 11 q e qed e. Iedee d itfi die edi ifjjiei progress, but when a Police Officer was killed, the then Deputy First Minister stood side by side with the Chief Constable to condemn those Chief Constable. Tocoedemn thggl groups. They are traitors dissident groups. They are traitors to ireland. Alongside the words, there were actions on all sides. The queens is in ied ii i i i there were actions on all sides. The queens is in mountbatten i there were actions on all sides. The queens is in mountbatten was queens is in lord mountbatten was killed by the ira, yet after. Queens is in lord mountbatten was killed by the ira, yet after the. Killed by the ira, yet after the troubles, royal and republican were able to put their differences aside. Im still alive. Buckingham palace says the queen is sending a private message to mr mcguinnesss widow. Says the queen is sending a private message to mr mcguinnesss widow. No message to mr mcguinnesss widow. Can forget the past, but i think one can forget the past, but i think we can equally look at the contribution that martin cantributipnthatfilafiifi did Plar Real Focus On Reconciliation and his real focus on reconciliation and reaching out to different communities. But when he resigned as Deputy First Minister this year, he brought down gower sharing. It e Deputy First Minister this year, he brought down gower sharing. It will brought down power sharing. It will now be for others to overcome the disputes between unionists and republicans at stormont. My my heart lies with the people of derry. Tonight, that voice was absent as republicans gathered to pay their respects. Not all will absent as republicans gathered to pay their ri him ts. Not all will absent as republicans gathered to pay their ri him so not all will absent as republicans gathered to pay their ri him so fondly, will absent as republicans gathered to pay their ri him so fondly, but few remember him so fondly, but few would be able to deny that he was a key figure in changing Northern Ireland. Chris butler, bbc Martin Mcguinness life spanned some of the most tumultuous years in irish history as he moved from ira commander to our special correspondent fergal keane has been to belfast and londonderry to assess Martin Mcguinnesss it was in this city that much. The worst violence happen, and here too, the first secret meetings that brought it to an end. In a room at this monastery in west this monastery in republican west belfast, the ira began its long msrg belfast, the ira began its long marm to peace belfast, the ira began its long margin to peace 31 months ago 31 march to peace 31 months ago 31 yea rs march to peace 31 months ago 31 years ago. Father adrian egan was one of the helpers at that meeting and eventually came to know Martin Mcguinness. Despite the current political crisis, his faith in the Peace Process is ebselutei political crisis, his faith in the Peace Process is absolute there j political crisis, his faith in the Peace Process is absolute there is Peace Process is absolute. There is no possibility of going back to where we were. Nobody wants to be back there, and i believe that one of the legacies of Martin Mcguinness and others who were engaged in the Peace Process is that it will last and last well the future. And last well into the future. Nearby is the peace which still nearby is the peace line which still separates protestant nearby is the peace line which still separates Protesta Nt A Nd nearby is the peace line which still separates protestant and catholic communities in west belfast, a reminder that smiles between Martin Mcguinness and ian paisley couldnt of themselves drained the deep well of themselves drained the deep well of mistrust. This war represents the sectarian reality that may take generations to change, but the absence of violence is a crucial start to that process. And it has involved loyalist Man Of War Making the same journey as Martin Mcguinness. 0n the loyalist chang hill road, i met billy hutchinson, who was jailed for sectarian murder in the 1970s before he took the political road. I dont want to see any young loyalist condemned to a ora or a graveyard, so i think we grison or s graveyard,. So i think we; have got that. But we are in nervous moments at the minute. We have we have had the last brexit. We have had the last election, but i still think that people will go via the democratic process. This is a day that inevitably brings the human cost of the troubles to the fore, the thousands dead and all left on them. The worst atrocity was carried out after Ira Ceasefire, 29 People Killed at 0magh. Kevin lost his wife at 0magh. He respects Martin Mcguinness, but feels that peace has brought neither justice nor truth. The victims are always at the bottom. They always have been at the bottom. They always have been at the bottom. They always have been at the bottom. The victims issue must be dealt if the process is to go anywhere it to go anywhere it must to go anywhere it must be with now. Drive west towards dealt with now. Drive west towards edges of the old the edges of the old protestant plantation, and you reach the political heartland of Martin Mcguinness, where hejoined the ira to fight for a United Ireland. As he dying, and electorally was dying, and electorally triumphant sinn fein called for a referendum on the issue. These two men, one a catholic peace activist, other a protestant minister, his friends. I have said to him were his friends. I havesaidtehim occasions that yes, there is that. Sinn. That sinn fein journey that sinn fein and many nationalists are on, but please, do not rush down that road, ignoring how family are how the unionist family are responding to this call for a border and a United Ireland. Politically, i think it is not but if iii think it is not realistic, but what is 23w is to imagine that is realistic is to imagine that people can learn to respect one another and to have a United Ireland in that sense, a place of respect. Perhaps the most enduring legacy of the g, eneram that moved from war the generation that moved from war to peace is realism, learned by toipeacieisi realism; teamedby mcguinness toipeecieisi realism; leamed by mcguinness and others at an Martin Mcguinness and others at an immense cost to this society. Fergal keane, bbc news. The campaign of violence carried out by the Provisional Ira againstbritishrule included cities and towns that left dozens of people dead. The families of some victims came to know Martin Mcguinness personally. Others said they could never come to terms with what he had done. This report is from our home editor mark easton. The iras campaign of bombings and murders on Mainland Britain saw dozens killed and hundreds injured. At the time, Martin Mcguinness was a vocal supporter the only way that irish people can bring about the freedom of their country is through the use in 1974, the ira planted bombs in english pubs, in guildford, woolwich and in birmingham when a series of explosions one november night killed 21 people and injured 182. Among the victims, 18 year old maxine hambleton, whose family still regards Martin Mcguinness as complicit in mass murder. You cant forget what he did in his past. That is what everyone seems to be forgetting. He has blood on his hands, and he allegedly has killed forgetting. He has blood on his hands, 1 he he allegedly has killed forgetting. He has blood on his hands, 1 he turned gedly has killed forgetting. He has blood on his hands, 1 he turned from has killed forgetting. He has blood on his hands, 1 he turned from government to people. He turned from government to peacemaker, iii Martin Mcguinness ,,i. I,. Eqi. I. Iq. Apologised for the iras never apologised for the iras attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in brighton. Many will nevgr forgive the death and carnage. Him for the death and carnage. I ii peer lord dobbs was at conservative peer lord dobbs was at the grand hotel that terrible the grand hotelthstttmible morning. I cant forget. Can i forgive . Well, it doesnt matter whether i can forgive or not, what matters is what is going on in Northern Ireland today, and that is excellent and we must never take that for granted and believe that the old times couldnt come back. We have is a very precious what we have is a very precious jewel of peace. It shouldnt have happened. In 2001, Michael Mcguinness went to warrington, where an ira bomb had h . Mcguinness went to warrington, where an ira bomb had hs f two boys an ira bomb had killed two boys eight years earlier. Of the Peace Centre Set up in the young victims names, the sinn fein leader told the pa rents of names, the sinn fein leader told the parents of the children that he accepted some responsibility for the tragedy. Having the challenge of meeting this figurehead, this man who was seen as an ogre and a merchant of death by the british generally, to meet him face to face was quite unsettling. We spoke man to man. There was no rancour. I not forgive and equally, not be how times change. In 1991, angry. How times change. In 1991, the ira fired three shells the ira fired three Mortar Shells into downing street. Today, Prime Ministers past and present paid tribute to an ira commander who. Iili i i, iiileie a, ili i i,qji. I ii i once have willed that attack would once have willed that attack to find its target. Just as Martin Mcguinnesss relationship with britain changed over the decades, so britains relationship with Irish Republicanism has changed. Just a couple of years ago, number ten described Anglo Irish Relations as being atan described Anglo Irish Relations as being at an all time high. The threat from ireland related terrorism in Mainland Britain is still officially described as terrorism in Mainland Britain is still officiall but;cribed as terrorism in Mainland Britain is still officiall but at bed as terrorism in Mainland Britain is still officiall but at last as terrorism in Mainland Britain is still officiall but at last we cans Su Bstantiali but Atlastweca Nls bay parade Saint Patricks bay parade demonstrated, of enuel importance i Saint Patricks bay parade demonstrated, of enuel importance is demonstrated; Efegeelimpertsnceisi Friendship demonstrated; ofegeelimportsnceisi friendship which is as close as the friendship which is as close as it has ever been. And our ireland correspondent we have seen people on the streets of londonderry and the streets of belfast tonight but will Martin Mcguinnesss role in the Peace Process , mcguinnesss role in the Peace Process, his legacy be one that lasts long into the future . Well, this might sound strange but i think there will be many unionists along with nationalists and republicans who do feel Martin Mcguinnesss loss and because he was a and thats partly because he was a negotiator, a man who was capable of compromise. If you look at the moment that stormont is in crisis, power sharing is in of power sharing is in need of restoration, he would have been a key figure in those talks and ultimately he will be missed from that table. Whenever you look back on someones life you very often try to paint them as either a hero or villain, truth is its normally more complicated and that and thats certainly true with Martin Mcguinness. He was a man who for yea rs mcguinness. He was a man who for years defended ira violence, but he also pushed politics forward here and the difference can be