PM Edward Heath
Established Widgery Tribunal
The former British Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, has denied that the Bloody Sunday killings were part of a conspiracy by his government.
Sir Edward, giving evidence to the Saville Inquiry sitting in London, rejected as 'absurd' the suggestion that the British had planned the events in Derry in 1972 during which 13 civilians were killed by paratroopers.
The former Conservative leader, who is now 86, was giving his first day of evidence. In all he spent almost two hours in the witness box. His answers were terse and on many occasions under questioning by counsel to the inquiry, Christopher Clarke QC, he replied simply that he could not recall details of events in the months leading up to Bloody Sunday in January 1972.
British conspiracy denied
As Prime Minister at the time he had ordered the widely discredited Widgery Inquiry but today he denied that there had been any British conspiracy or cover-up.
However, he did confirm that the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Hailsham, had suggested British soldiers should be allowed to shoot anyone who obstructed them. Sir Edward said this advice had not been taken up by his government.
He also revealed that he rarely if ever read intelligence briefings on Northern Ireland, leaving them instead to the Home and Defence Secretaries.
On the introduction of internment, Sir Edward said his government had been 'extremely doubtful about it' and had tried to find ways to reassure public opinion. Sir Edward will resume his evidence tomorrow afternoon.
350 witnesses giving evidence to Inquiry
Families of the victims were in London today to hear his statement. Sir Edward is among 350 witnesses giving evidence to the Inquiry in London on the grounds that they may be at risk travelling to Derry.
Sir Edward is only the second British Prime Minister to appear before a government-appointed public inquiry. Margaret Thatcher gave evidence to the arms for Iraq inquiry in London in 1993.
