Jeremy Corbyn was once silenced from speaking in a Commons terror debate because he was ‘too close to IRA’
Weeks after the 1984 Brighton bomb narrowly avoided assassinating Margaret Thatcher, the Labour leader invited leading figures from the IRA’s political wing to Parliament
JEREMY Corbyn was once shut out of a Commons debate about preventing terrorism because he was “too close to the IRA”.
Trying to interrupt during the 1995 Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism debate, the then Labour backbencher rose and asked to speak against the Act.
But he was slapped down by Tory grandee Terry Dicks, who hit back claiming: “No; the Honourable Gentleman is too close to the IRA.”
Mr Corbyn had voted against the anti-IRA bill in 1988 and did so again against its renewal in 1995.
Just weeks after the 1984 Brighton bomb narrowly avoided assassinating Margaret Thatcher and her Cabinet, Mr Corbyn invited leading figures from Sinn Fein, the IRA’s political wing, to Parliament.
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At the time Labour Chief Whip Michael Cocks branded the move: “thoughtlessness of the higest order.”
It was revealed this week that Mr Corbyn attended 72 separate events with Sinn Fein or pro-Republican groups during the Troubles.
In 1986 he was arrested after attending a protest outside the High Court by IRA sympathisers.
Mr Corbyn was also closely involved with the “Troops Out” movement that sought peace in Northern Ireland, but only by withdrawing British forces.
He was consistently reprimanded by Labour whips for his stance but always escaped serious sanction.
Last night Tory Security Minister Ben Wallace branded Mr Corbyn “unfit to be Prime Minister” because of his IRA connections.
-An earlier version of this article stated that Jeremy Corbyn was 'banned' from speaking in a Commons terror debate because he was 'too close to IRA'. In fact Mr Corbyn was simply prevented from speaking because Mr Terry Dicks refused to give way.