At 2:54 am on October 12, 1984, part of the “Grand“ Hotel in Brighton collapsed after a powerful explosion. The building was housing ministers, MPs and delegates to the Conservative Party conference. Among them was British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Thatcher was in her apartment with her husband Dennis, working on a speech she was due to give later that day. The bomb had been placed in a hotel room and was set off on a timed alarm. The explosion tore the building apart, but damaged the prime minister's apartment in a way that allowed Thatcher and her husband to escape unharmed.
Five killed, dozens injured
Five people died in the attack. Among the victims was the Conservative MP Sir Anthony Berry. More than 30 people were injured, with the most commonly cited number being 31. Subsequent statements in the British parliament gave a total of 32 injuries, reflecting differences in accounts after the attack.
Among the seriously injured were the minister Norman Tebbitt and his wife Margaret. Tebbitt survived, but his wife was left paralysed from injuries sustained in the collapse of the building. The destruction covered much of the hotel, and rescue teams worked for hours amidst concrete, bricks and metal.
The IRA claimed responsibility for the attack. The aim was to assassinate Thatcher and members of her government, who were gathered in Brighton for a party forum. The attack took place at the height of the conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the “Times of Troubles“.
“The conference will go on“
Despite the destruction and the casualties, Thatcher refused to cancel the forum. The conference began as planned, and a few hours after the explosion she appeared before the delegates and gave her speech. Later she visited the wounded in hospital.
The speech turned the continuation of the conference into a political symbol. The attack failed to decapitate the British government, but it showed that the violence associated with the conflict in Northern Ireland was now reaching directly to the very top of power in Britain.
The investigation and conviction
The investigation established a link between the bombing and Patrick Magee. In 1985, he was convicted of planting and detonating the bomb, as well as of five murders. Magee spent years in prison, but was later released under the terms of the Northern Ireland peace process.
The Brighton bombing remains one of the IRA's deadliest attacks in Britain. It is also remembered for the fact that the main target survived, while five people associated with the Conservative Party conference lost their lives.
Sources: theguardian.com, apnews.com, time.com