Brighton: The Bomb That Changed Politics
On the 25th anniversary of the Brighton hotel bombing, Michael Dobbs, author and former Conservative Party adviser, argues that the bomb has radically changed British politics.
In 1984, the Provisional IRA mounted their most audacious terrorist attack - attempting to blow up the British cabinet at the Conservative Party conference in Brighton. Michael Dobbs, a former senior adviser to Margaret Thatcher and John Major, was at the Grand Hotel when the bomb detonated.
He believes its legacy has had a profound impact on our politics, especially at party conferences and Westminster. Revisiting Brighton for the first time since 1984 and talking to leading political figures, he asks if we have struck the right balance in protecting politicians and ensuring they are not cocooned from the people they serve.
Featuring contributions from Lord Tebbit, Ken Livingstone, Alastair Campbell, Charles Clarke, Charles Kennedy and Francis Maude.
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- Mon 12 Oct 2009 20:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4