October 12th 2024.
As the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham began, there was a solemn moment of reflection before the usual drama and debates ensued. Michael Winstanley, the conference chairman, took a moment in his opening speech to acknowledge the fortieth anniversary of the Brighton bombing during a previous conference. He paid tribute to those who lost their lives or were injured in the cowardly terrorist attack.
Winstanley's voice trembled with emotion as he quoted Margaret Thatcher's powerful speech, delivered just hours after she narrowly escaped the attempt on her life. She described the attack as not only an attempt to disrupt the conference, but also to destroy the democratically elected government. However, she made it clear that despite the shock and devastation, the terrorists would not succeed in their goal to destroy democracy through acts of terror.
For those who were present during the bombing, the memories are still vivid. The Grand Hotel, with its iconic facade and seafront location, was left with a gaping hole after the explosion. Guests stumbled out, covered in dust, while firefighters carried out Trade and Industry Secretary Norman Tebbit on a stretcher. It was a terrifying and chaotic scene.
What many people may not know is just how close the country came to losing a serving Prime Minister. According to Rory Carroll's book Killing Thatcher, the IRA had deliberately placed the bomb near the hotel's internal chimney stack, causing a cascade of rubble to tear through each floor. The bathroom in Thatcher's suite was one of the rooms that sustained serious damage, and she had been using it just minutes before the explosion. If she had been in there even a little longer, or if the chimney had fallen in a different direction, the outcome could have been very different.
Thankfully, Thatcher escaped unharmed, but tragically, five people lost their lives in the attack. Among the victims were politicians, their spouses, and other conference attendees. Norman Tebbit's wife Margaret was also injured and left paralyzed from the blast. She lived with the consequences of that day until her passing in 2020.
Today, the Grand Hotel has been restored, and the only visible reminder of the bombing is a memorial plaque in the foyer. But it's important to remember that if things had gone differently that night, it could have been the site of a pivotal moment in British politics. As Carroll writes, "for want of two minutes or a few feet, history could have been altered, and with it the fate of Northern Ireland, Thatcherism, and the Cold War." The bravery and resilience shown by those who survived that day should never be forgotten.
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