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THE STATE AND THE ASSASSINATION THREAT IN BRITAIN, 1971–1984

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2017

SIMON BALL
SIMON BALL*
Affiliation:
University of Leeds
*
School of History, University of LeedsS.J.Ball@leeds.ac.uk
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Abstract

The emergence of London as a major site of political murder caught the British state by surprise in the early 1970s. Assumptions about assassination – as an event linked to the British empire – built up over seven decades – had to be abandoned in under a decade. The change in Britain's understanding of its vulnerability within the international system was traumatic. This change took place in three stages, beginning in 1971, 1978, and 1984. There were strong elements of continuity between the Callaghan government and the first Thatcher government. It was the second Thatcher government that made a more radical break with the past. A new understanding of assassination conspiracies altered fundamentally the state's approach to security.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 62 , Issue 1 , March 2019 , pp. 241 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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Footnotes

The author would like to thank Professor Richard English, Dr Rachel Hoffman, and the anonymous readers of the Historical Journal for their close and helpful reading of earlier drafts of the article.

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124 Margaret Thatcher, speaking notes, 31 Oct. 1984, PREM19/1663.

125 CC (84) 35th conclusions, 1 Nov. 1984, CAB128/79.

126 Prime minister's press conference: Saturday 3 Nov. 1984, PREM19/1663; CC (84) 38th conclusions, 22 Nov. 1984, CAB128/79.

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132 Assistant commissioner, Special Branch to F4 Division Home Office, 16 Dec. 1971, HO287/2205.

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135 Gore-Booth to Laver, 6 Sept. 1972, FCO17/1706.

136 Robert Mark to Sir Philip Allen, 15 Sept. 1972, FCO57/428.

137 Denis Greenhill to PS, 9 Oct. 1972, FCO57/428.

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145 Allen to Stowe, ‘Protection of Sir Harold Wilson’, 30 Dec. 1976, PREM16/1270.

146 Marcia Falkender to PM, 29 Dec. 1977, PREM16/1270.

147 Jim Callaghan to Marcia Williams, 4 Jan. 1977, PREM16/1270.

148 FCO to Cartledge, for PM, Tel. 49 to Dacca, 5 Jan. 1978, FCO93/1559.

149 Winchester (Security) to chief clerk, 4 May 1979, FCO33/3848.

150 Hibbert (Paris) to Winchester (Security), 23 May 1979, FCO33/3848.

151 Alexander to Whitmore, 30 Apr. 1980, PREM19/1137.

152 Morris (Security) to Davies (Paris), June 1979, FCO33/3848.

153 Cmnd 8254, report of the commissioner of police of the metropolis for year 1980, June 1981.

154 Winchester to chief clerk, 4 May 1979, FCO33/3848.

155 OD (80) 3rd meeting, 29 Jan. 1980, CAB148/189.

156 OD (80) 2, memorandum by the secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs: armed protection for British government representatives overseas, 8 Jan. 1980, CAB148/189.

157 Caie to Short (Ankara), 2 Sept. 1983, FCO9/4360.

158 Armstrong to Powell, 17 Oct. 1984, PREM19/1698.

159 Taylor (Home Office) to Ricketts, 15 June 1984, PREM19/1698.

160 Geoffrey Howe to PM, 4 Sept. 1984, PREM19/1698.

161 Charles Powell note on Geoffrey Howe to PM, 4 Sept. 1984, PREM19/1698, Margaret Thatcher's underlining.

162 Armstrong to Powell, 17 Oct. 1984, PREM19/1698.

163 Powell to Armstrong, 19 Oct. 1984, PREM19/1698.

164 Rough translation of the address of the Italian PM, Signor Bettino Craxi, at the dinner at 10 Downing Street on Thursday, 18 Oct. 1984, PREM19/1554.

165 Administrative plan for the visit of His Excellency Onorevole Bettino Craxi, president of the ministers of the Republic of Italy, 18–19 Oct. 1984, PREM19/1554.

166 Security at the Grand Hotel, Brighton: statement by Mr Butler, 7 Nov. 1984, PREM19/1632.

167 Home secretary's statement on Brighton bombing (Hoddinott report), 22 Jan. 1985, PREM19/1632.

168 Robin Butler, note of a meeting between the PM and Mr Rajiv Gandhi at 1 Akbar Marg. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, 3 Nov. 1984, PREM19/1663; CC (84) 37th conclusions, 15 Nov. 1984, CAB128/79.

169 Jason Burke, ‘All eyes on Britain as terror war accelerates’, Observer, 26 Jan. 2003, p. 7.

170 Parsons to Coles, 29 Nov. 1983, PREM19/1088.

171 Caroline Stephens to PM, with annotations by Margaret Thatcher, 28 Mar. 1983, CAC, THCR 6/2/2/61.

172 Home secretary's statement to the House of Commons – 22 Oct. 1984: bomb explosion at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, PREM19/1632, typist's underlining.

173 Armstrong to Powell, 31 Oct. 1984, PREM19/1288; Powell to Budd (FCO), 5 Nov. 1984, PREM19/1408.

174 Home Secretary's statement to the House of Commons – 22 Oct. 1984.

175 Wicks to PM, with handwritten note by Margaret Thatcher, 19 Nov. 1985, PREM19/1429.

176 Note by officials, ‘Assassination and death or injury in service’, attached to Ian Gow to PM, 15 Nov. 1985, PREM19/1429.

177 Lord Hailsham to Peter Rees, 11 Apr. 1985, PREM19/1429.

178 Stewart Tendler, ‘VIPs force Yard to abandon plan for cheaper protection’, Times, 15 Mar. 1993, p. 2.

179 Hoffman, ‘Age of assassination’, p. 136.