Photosales
niJobfinder
niCarfinder
Home Delivery
Propertynews
Tory councillor quits over IRA links
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
A council education chief quit today after admitting she worked with the IRA in the 1970s.
Conservative councillor Maria Gatland resigned as a cabinet member on Croydon Council after being exposed as the author of a "kiss and tell" book about the provisionals.
The book described how, among other tasks, she acted as an interpreter for the movement on an arms-buying trip to Europe.
The council appears to have been unaware of her past because the book was published in 1973 under her maiden name, Maria McGuire.
A spokeswoman for Croydon Council said today: "The council has been advised that Maria Gatland has resigned as cabinet member for children, young people and learners.
"This follows emerging news of her connection to the Provisional IRA - which has come as a complete shock to Croydon.
"Officers understand she has been urged to resign from the council. It is also understood that urgent steps are being taken to replace her as cabinet member."
Ms Gatland's book - To Take Arms: My Year With The IRA Provisional - was described in a review in Time magazine in 1973 as a "kiss and tell story" about her relationships with the movement.
It was written after she became disillusioned with the provisionals, and fled to England. The turning point was apparently when 20 bombs were detonated in Belfast on July 21, 1972, killing 11 people and injuring more than a hundred.
"Almost for the first time, I wondered about the crippled and the widowed and the lives that had been changed forever," she wrote.
She is believed to have been sentenced to death by the IRA as a result.
Ms Gatland's activities when in her 20s only emerged after cryptic clues in a public meeting yesterday.
The Croydon Advertiser reported that Peter Latham, a leader of the local Save Our Schools campaign, referred to her as "Councillor McGuire".
Apologising and suggesting he was a bit mixed-up, Dr Latham added that he was a devotee of Irish history and had been reading a book about the IRA which "you, Councillor Gatland, might have heard about as you are Irish".
According to the newspaper, Ms Gatland has been suspended by the local authority's ruling Conservative group pending an investigation.
"I have resigned. I am not prepared to say anything more at this stage," she told the Advertiser.
Sickened by the violence after Bloody Friday blasts
Maria Gatland’s youthful involvement with the IRA went against the grain of what might have been expected from someone of her talents.
She was a university educated woman who possessed PR savvy which would be of benefit to any organisation.
Her kiss-and-tell book, To Take Arms: My Year in the Provisional IRA, gave details of just some of the activities she was involved in with the terrorist group.
She was to turn her back on the violence being meted out by the group, however, following the infamous Bloody Friday bombings in July 1972.
“Now, almost for the first time, I wondered about the crippled and the widowed and the lives that had been changed forever,” she wrote.
Her career as a local Tory councillor in England would seem a far cry from her romantic notions of armed struggle in Ireland.
As cabinet member for children’s services and adult learning in Croydon council, she led a radical review which proposed closing a number of local secondary schools. Her popularity with the electorate was not in doubt, however, as she topped the polls in her ward in the 2006 elections.
- Text Size
Started in the IRA and ended up a Tory? Stability is not her strong point.
Posted by neil | 03.12.08, 17:25 GMT
Bannside, what Mark has written is commonly referred to as a "mope-alert". These can often be seen when his ilk feel threatened or attempt to defend the indefensible, by pointing accusing fingers in the opposite direction. It's a very common trait amongst the SF/IRA hierarchy and its voters in fact.
Posted by mickey | 03.12.08, 16:37 GMT
Mark I accept that both sides committed atrocities. However, to amplify my comments: I consider the Republicans/Nationlists etc to have had a political element to their terror campaign. Wheras, I consider the so called 'Loyalists' (speaking as a prod) to be little more than thugs who don't have much time for real politics due to the demands of drug dealing, extortion etc.
Therefore, in my opinion, it is sensible to encourage the reb/nats to continue along the path to constitutional politics. As regards the so called 'Loyalists' they should be treated as criminal elements and processed by the criminal justice system.
Posted by Andy | 03.12.08, 15:13 GMT
Mark the article was about a councillor with IRA links. And there are responses as someone wrote about IRA "heroes". No-one has put forth the idea of loyalist heroes so I assume we can only respond to what is written and what is relevant. I would agree with you that atrociities were committed on all sides.
Posted by bannside | 03.12.08, 14:27 GMT
I love the way when something like this arises, you all jump on board about the provos/ nationalists/ catholics being at fault and causing all the problems!
Do you all forget that it was two way traffic and many loyalists/ unionists/ protestants caused equal attrocities.
I am not condoning either's actions before anyone starts! But if you are prepared to come on here and drag up history, then please drag up all aspects, not just those which suit your own political/ religious stance! This woman need not resign as she clearly regrets her past and has moved on!
Posted by Mark | 03.12.08, 14:06 GMT
Sean I would prepare yourself for the tirade of condemnation that is sure to follow your comments. Heroes? Would real heroes kill innocent people including women and children? This country has a past of course. We should understand it remember it but I don't believe we should revel in it and glorify it.
Posted by bannside | 03.12.08, 11:38 GMT
Poor poor sean, not even a majority of people in this country believe it was just cause, or a just response to the injustice that existed.
However, why should she resign? She is clearly ashamed of her past and has made an enormous journey from marxist to establishment democrat.
Are we are not trying to get the rest of the nationalist / republicans to join the democratic process ? She should be held up as an example of successful rehabilitation instead of being hounded out of politics.
Posted by Andy | 03.12.08, 11:28 GMT
Sean, are Bin Laden and the 9/11 terrorists revered around the world? Are they heros to millions of Muslims? Is what they did (and are still doing) right?
People in NI yearn for the day when people like you wake up. It won't be long.
Posted by mickey | 03.12.08, 11:21 GMT
Sean - please explain how the "majority of people in the world" believe that the IRA's terror campaign was a just cause. Are you honestly saying that attacks like Bloody Friday, La Mon and Enniskillen were justified? Who are the invaders - the Vikings?? You also refer to a "reunited" country - if you think that Ireland was ever united, your stupidity knows no bounds.
Posted by Observer | 03.12.08, 11:18 GMT
why should she resign if she believes what she was doing was a just cause as the majority of people in the world do. history books will show these people who stood up against the invader as the heroes they are. i long for the day when we have a nationalist first minister then a reunited country
Posted by sean | 03.12.08, 10:35 GMT
Gary - she's clearly NOT proud of herself and I'm sure she DID hang her head in shame - otherwise she would still be here and supporting the IRA. The fact is she left, obvisously didnt want anything more to do with working with them etc. This was years ago - a lot of people have pasts we dont particularly like but look at our own Executive!! I dont see the point in her resigning and dredging up old news! Way to go forward!
Posted by Weirdo | 03.12.08, 10:21 GMT
I am an unionist but i really can't see why she would resign? surely the tory press office can spin it around that she has 'seen error of her ways' etc etc
Posted by Neill C | 03.12.08, 09:29 GMT
If she has already resigned from the movement, like working with the IRA and stuff, they can't really kick her out for being a Tory. Obviously it is still very damaging.
Posted by Gregory | 02.12.08, 20:52 GMT
Before being interviewed as to her fitness for candidacy, the councillor would have been asked if there was anything in her past which would diminish her standing. She woould not have been allowed to stand if she revealed it. She lied for ambition. Its a lesson to anybody who wants to go into politics.
Posted by Seymour Major | 02.12.08, 19:31 GMT
Disgusting little woman. "She acted as an interpreter for the movement on an arms-buying trip to Europe" I hope she is proud of herself. "A cabinet member for children, young people and learners" I hope she can sleep at night supporting IRA terrorism guilty of murderering innocent men, women and children. HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME.
Posted by Gary | 02.12.08, 19:10 GMT
Why on earth should she resign? We in Northgern Ireland have Adams, McGuiness and friends earning very good salaries in government.
Posted by David Baird | 02.12.08, 17:20 GMT
Sounds like Mr Latham might have been pursuing this lady for his own vexatious and vindictive ends. If this is the way he is approaching his campaign, then I hope it fails. People who dig out "dirt" on people from more than 35 years ago deserve all the contempt they can get. I've never heard of such spite and viciousness. If the lady left the provos behind her, good for her. She's clearly a much braver person than Mr Latham.
Posted by laura | 02.12.08, 17:04 GMT
"Almost for the first time, I wondered about the crippled and the widowed and the lives that had been changed forever," she wrote.
'She is believed to have been sentenced to death by the IRA as a result.'
!!!
Yep, conclusive proof (if ever it was needed!), this puts the IRA and its cohorts right up there with some of the other sicko extremist militant groups you might find in the middle-east.
Posted by mickey | 02.12.08, 16:40 GMT