Tebbit withdraws McGuinness 'shooting hope'

Fri, 11 Apr, 2014 - 09:51

Norman Tebbit has withdrawn comments which suggested he hoped Martin McGuinness would be shot in the back.

The Tory peer was discussing the Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister attending an event hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle.

Mr Tebbit said the Queen had no choice about Mr McGuinness attending the State banquet at Windsor Castle last night in honour of the visit of President Michael D Higgins.

He said: “There’s always the possibility that a member of the Real IRA will be so outraged by Mr McGuinness bowing to the Queen that they might shoot him in the back for it.

“We can but hope.”

He told the BBC the

Mr McGuinness and Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers have criticised the remarks.

Norman Tebbit pushing his wife Margaret's wheelchair up a ramp as they enter Claridge's in London in 1995. Margaret Tebbit was paralysed in the IRA's Brighton bomb attack and Norman Tebbit was gravely injured.