Birmingham Six (No.3)

EDM number 919 in 1989-90, proposed by Chris Mullin on 30/04/1990.

That this House notes the recent statement by the outgoing Chief Constable for the West Midlands that the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings 'were members of the IRA one way or another' and that 'it was always concluded that the Birmingham six were at the bottom of that chain of command'; recalls that, according to a statement said to have been obtained on 23rd November 1974 from Hugh Callaghan by DC Roger Ball and DS Raymond Bennett of the West Midlands Serious Crimes Squad, John Walker was a 'brigadier' in the IRA, Richard McIlkenny a 'captain' and the rest 'lieutenants'; further recalls that, in September 1986, West Midlands Assistant Chief Constable Tom Meffen told the honourable Member for Sunderland South and Mrs Gareth Pierce, a solicitor, that the West Midlands police had never alleged that the six were members of the IRA; and invites the West Midlands police to indicate which of these three versions they prefer and then to stick to it.

This motion has been signed by a total of 19 MPs.