Murdered MP's daughter slams Keir Starmer’s Troubles bill - 'What happened to reconciliation?'

Fintan Starkey
Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:18:07 +0000

The family of a Conservative MP assassinated by Irish republican terrorists have launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer's proposed Northern Ireland Troubles legislation.

Airey Neave's daughter, Marigold Webb, and granddaughter, Kate Holland, have branded the Government's approach "bloody unfair," arguing it creates a two-tier system of justice.

Their criticism comes just days after the anniversary of Mr Neave's murder on March 30, 1979, when a car bomb killed him as he left the Palace of Westminster.

The family contends that while former IRA members walk free, British veterans who served during the conflict remain vulnerable to criminal prosecution under Labour's new proposals.

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Sir Keir abandoned the Conservative Legacy Act, which would have shielded troops from legal action, upon entering Downing Street. Government ministers have argued that immunity provisions breach European human rights law.

Mr Neave served as shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at the time of his death.

The 63-year-old had been advocating for a more aggressive military approach against republican paramilitaries rather than the Government's containment strategy.

The Irish National Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

A bomb equipped with a tilt-switch mechanism had been placed beneath his Vauxhall Cavalier, detonating as he drove from the parliamentary car park.

The blast severed both his legs, and he died at Westminster Hospital approximately an hour later.

His hardline stance on Northern Ireland was widely believed to have made him a prime target for republican groups.

Ms Holland was just eight years old when her grandfather was killed.

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She recalled being at a family friend's house when news of the explosion interrupted television broadcasts.

"I saw the news flash on TV and heard my grandfather's name mentioned. I had to run and tell my parents what had happened. It's affected us all our entire lives," she said.

In a letter to The Telegraph, Ms Webb and Ms Holland explained their position on the Good Friday Agreement and its aftermath.

"In 1998, Tony Blair's Good Friday Agreement brought an end to hostilities, with members of the IRA released early from prison. We understood that the agreement was for the greater good of society, and accepted that Airey's murderers would not be prosecuted," they wrote.

The family had believed the ceasefire and subsequent amnesty would extend to all participants in the conflict.

"However, we believed that the ceasefire, and the amnesty and reconciliation that would follow, applied to all parties in the conflict.

"It has become clear that this was not correct. Members of the IRA go free, while British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland face trial and imprisonment."

They questioned the Prime Minister's decision to replace legislation that would have ended veteran prosecutions. "What happened to reconciliation?" they asked.

Ms Holland spoke of the family's restraint over the decades, noting they had chosen not to pursue prosecution of her grandfather's killers in the spirit of reconciliation.

"We have tried to forgive but cannot forget. It's just so bloody unfair and as a family we felt we'd been very good in not kicking up a fuss and seeking a prosecution," she said.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has described the legislation as a "national disgrace" that would haul elderly veterans before the courts.

She warned in January that Labour's approach "sends a catastrophic message to those currently serving: one day the state might abandon you".

The Neave family continues to seek answers about the assassination.

Despite the INLA claiming responsibility, nobody has ever been convicted.

DNA evidence from the scene was destroyed under routine police procedures, and certain records remain sealed until 2079.