21/03/2017 BBC News at Six

From paramilitary leader to politician...

Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's former

He first came to prominence as an IRA commander at the height

of its violent campaign against British rule.

From the bomb to the ballot box - Mr McGuinness played a pivotal role

in bringing peace to Northern Ireland.

The same fierceness that he brought to the arms struggle, he then

brought to the cause of peace and he was determined to give Northern

Thousands were killed or maimed in the IRA's terror campaign.

That's how many victims' families remember Martin McGuiness.

You can't forget what he did in his past, which is what everyone seems

We'll be looking back at a life that mirrored Northern Ireland's

Airline security - the UK follows America and bans

laptops and other devices on some flights - we'll be asking why.

Food and fuel push inflation to its highest level

for more than three years - where does that leave interest rates?

Colin Dexter, the man who created Inspector Morse, dies.

And coming up in the sport on BBC News...

The Manchester United defender Phil Jones is forced to withdraw

from the England squad for their friendly with Germany

tomorrow after picking up an injury in training today.

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's former

Deputy First Minister and one of its most controversial figures

He was a former commander of the IRA which, in the 70s and 80s,

was at the forefront of a terror campaign against British rule that

But in an extraordinary transformation he turned

to politics, playing a key role in bringing peace

Our Ireland Correspondent, Chris Buckler, looks back at a life

Martin McGuinness's personal history is tied to Northern Ireland's past.

During the years of violence coming he was one of the faces of IRA

leadership. His face has changed since he used to swagger around the

no-go areas of Londonderry. His own politics were formed in the turmoil

of those decades of unrest. Martin McGuinness, he believed in our

people, people he decided who should be free and he believed in

reconciliation. Born in Londonderry into a large Catholic family, he

came of age as the divisions deepened, ripping communities apart.

In that time of violence, she joined the IRA, quickly rising through its

ranks. The first body I saw was that of a youth... By 1972 when British

soldiers shot dead civil rights protesters in Derry, he was the

second in command in the city. It is alleged he was armed with a

submachine gun that day. What had started as a fighter civil rights

had become a vicious battle. The IRA had a disregard for life. They were

responsible for attacks, including bombing Brighton's grand hotel in

1984. Lord Tebbit and his wife Margaret, was seriously injured.

Today he said he hoped Martin McGuinness was parked in and

particularly hot part of hell. He knew the IRA had been elevated to

its highest levels and he would have been arrested and charged with many

murders he personally committed. So he opted for the Coward's way out

and said, I am a man of peace. Martin McGuinness did see

opportunities at the ballot box for Sinn Fein. The political party

linked to the IRA. Even then, the language of threat remained. We do

believe winning elections and any amount of votes will bring freedom

to Ireland. It will be the cutting edge of the IRA which will bring

freedom. After years of killings and chaos, IRA ceasefires the

opportunity for talks between unionists and Republicans. Would you

like to shake hands? Would you? I am prepared to. There are some people

who will always remember him as the man of war and can never forget the

violence of his early years, but for those of us who helped put together

the Northern Ireland peace process with him, we will remember his

legacy as the man of peace. The Good Friday agreement, which Martin

McGuinness helped negotiate laid the foundation for a political

breakthrough, a power-sharing government at storm on. And

eventually at its head, was the unlikely partnership of two former

enemies, Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness. The firebrand unionist

and radical Republican became so closed, they were nicknamed The

Chuckle Brothers. That remarkable journey is important. I must say as

a Christian and a person who reflects on life, it is not how you

started your life that is important, but how you finish your life. There

were Republicans who continued to threaten that political progress.

But when a police officer was killed, the then Deputy First

Minister stood side-by-side with the Chief Constable to condemn the

dissident groups. They are traitors to Northern Ireland. Alongside the

words, there were actions on both sides. The Queen's cousin Lord

Mountbatten was killed by the IRA, but after the troubles, they were

able to put their differences aside. Thank you very much. No one can

forget the past, but I think we can equally look at the contribution

Martin did play. His real focus on reconciliation and reaching out to

different communities. But there remained deep divisions at storm on.

And when Martin McGuinness walked out of government this year, it was

a sign of the political challenges still ahead. They would be faced by

others. Ill-health had already forced him to retire after a decade

as Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister. Even though it breaks my

heart... My heart lies in the Bogside and with the people of

Derry. In painting a true picture of Martin McGuinness, you have to

accept contradictions. His IRA past full-colour many people'sviews of

him, but as a Republican who worked towards reconciliation, he will be

remembered as a key figure in changing Northern Ireland.

As we've heard, he spoke about his roots in Londonderry. Hundreds walk

behind his coughing as Martin McGuinness's coughing was taken to

his family home. These are the streets he grew up in and in the

nationalists Bogside area, they came to pay their respects. I don't think

anybody wanted to be here watching this today, but I am very proud to

be from this city and seeing the cortege, as I saluted Martin

McGuinness as he passed because he has done so much for this town, the

Bogside, Derry. It is a view echoed here. Martin McGuinness is

remembered as a leader who backed projects like this community Centre

to help the poor and vulnerable. Derry itself is in mourning. The

people are heartbroken. It is very sad. Martin has been here for as

long as I can remember. It is a huge loss to this community and the city

and the north of Ireland in general. In the heart of the Bogside,

Republican flags were at half-mast. Here, they remember those who

fought. Martin McGuinness was a towering figure in this city. For

many, he was their champion and today they mourn. But for others,

the past can never be forgotten. The Enniskillen bombing was one of the

worst atrocities of the IRA, 11 people died and more than 60 were

injured when a bomb exploded near a war memorial on Remembrance Sunday.

As a human being, I don't gloat in his death. But I still won't send

the family a sympathy card because I got most of the day card when my

daddy and my mummy died. They died at the hands of the IRA in

Enniskillen and it will be 30 years and nobody has ever been brought to

justice. Martin McGuinness was implicated in it and he will go to

his grave with secrets. At times, Derry was prominent in Northern

Ireland's troubles and Martin McGuinness's life was bound up in

this city. His funeral will take place on Thursday.

One of the victims of the IRA bombing campaign was Tim Parry,

who was 12 when he was killed in an attack on Warrington

Today his father Colin, who set up a charity in his name,

said while he didn't forgive Martin McGuiness, he did

believe he was sincere in his desire for peace.

Our correspondent Judith Moritz has been speaking to families of those

In March 1993, Northern Ireland's troubles came to Warrington. Two

bombs exploded in the town centre, injuring many and killing two young

boys. Three-year-old Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry, who was 12. The

killing of Jonathan and Tim was wrong. Years later, Martin

McGuinness said the attack had been shameful and the parents decided to

work together with the former IRA commander who visited the peace

Centre be built. Having the challenge of meeting this man who

was seen as an ogre, as a merchant of death, or whatever, by the

British generally. For me, coming face to face was quite unsettling.

We spoke man to man, there was no rancour, there was no... Criticism

of one by the other. It was a meaningful set of conversations

every time I met him. Would you go so far as to say you were friends?

No, not friends. Yesterday was the anniversary of the Warrington bomb.

24 years on, the two young children will never be forgotten and the

death of Martin McGuinness has prompted very mixed feelings in this

community. There has been a lot of pain with the IRA but there has also

been peace. I remember when he went to meet the Queen. I never thought I

would see that in my lifetime. There was no way you could justify what

they did, planting bombs in dustbins in the streets, planting bombs in

pubs to kill indiscriminately, there is no justification for that and

there never will be. I live in Warrington and I know there is many

here who feel the same. In 1974, people died when the IRA bomb two

Birmingham pubs. Some of their relatives said they will never be

able to forgive him. How can a change, you can never forget what he

did it in is pass, which is what everybody seems to be forgetting. He

has blood on his hands and he allegedly has killed people. How is

it possible to forget that? In Warrington, Tim Parry's parents also

say they cannot forgive, but they add, working with Martin McGuinness

has helped them make peace the legacy of their son's death.

Let's go back to our Ireland Correspondent,

A controversial figure but an important figure, what sort of gap

does he leave behind? I think in some ways, for both unionists and

Republicans, he leaves behind an important figure because he was a

negotiator, somebody who understood compromise. That was important in

setting up the power-sharing government 's. Storm on the at the

moment is in a period of crisis and they need someone who can act in

that way, bring the two sides together. And act, as Martin

McGuinness often did, as someone who is appear to be statesman so many

times. It is easy to look back on someone's live to paint them as a

hero or villain, and that is so much more true when it comes to Martin

McGuinness. He was always someone who saw the advantage in moving

things forward as well, politically. If you look behind be here at the

Bogside in Derry where he lived, the conflicts cause so much hurt and

anger, there are still paintings on the wall but show those days of

violence. Perhaps the important legacy for Martin McGuinness is to

ensure history isn't repeated. Chris, thank you very much.

Our main headline... Martin McGuinness, the former IRA commander

who became a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, has

died. And still to come - Nicola Sturgeon pushes her case for a

second independence referendum for Scotland.

Coming up in Sportsday on BBC News - a review by UK Athletics finds

that the classification system for para-athletes is open to abuse

It follows concerns raised in the lead-up to Rio 2016.

Britain is introducing new security measures on planes which will see

passengers banned from taking on laptops, tablets and some phones

in their hand luggage, on flights from several

The move, announced this afternoon, follows similar

restrictions announced by US authorities overnight.

Our security correspondent Frank Gardner looks at what has

prompted this latest tightening of airline security.

Familiar, tedious, time-consuming. Getting laptops and other devices

through airport security on direct flights from the Middle East to the

UK is about to get even more complicated. Anything bigger than a

smartphone will now have to go in the hold. British Airways, easyJet

and four other UK airlines are affected. So, too, are eight Middle

Eastern and North Africa and Karius. It follows a similar measure

introduced by the United States. The list of affected airlines was

published today by the Government, which says the security of the

travelling public is its highest priority. So what has prompted this?

Last year's laptop bomb on board this flight out of Somalia raised a

lot of concerns. Smuggled aboard either group tosh about, it blew a

hole inside the plane, killing the bomb. Amazingly, the pilot was able

to land it safely. The year before, so-called Islamic State put a bomb

on a passenger plane out of Egypt, killing everyone on board. That

device was in the hold, where the new ban on laptops does not apply.

In Whitehall, the BBC understands, there were some concerns about

introducing this ban. It is not based on any specific plot, rather

an evolving threat. There is bound to be a commercial and diplomatic

price for this. It is also yet one more encumbrance for air passengers.

I'm afraid to say that the scope for disruption is immense. First people

will get the wrong end of many sticks, they will think it applies

to all flights from the UK, as well as from these six countries. And of

course, people will have organised hand baggage only flights and they

will suddenly need to check things in. It is going to be, I'm afraid,

an almighty muddle and till we get used to the idea. Business

travellers who need to work in mid flight will be especially

inconvenienced. And there is no end to the ban in sight. A ban on taking

liquids over 100 millilitres introduced in 11 years ago is still

in place. The rising cost of food,

fuel and electronic goods have pushed inflation to its highest

level for three-and-a-half years. Last month, prices

rose 2.3%, compared It was a bigger jump than expected

and at least part of it is due to the fall in the value

of the pound since Our economics editor,

Kamal Ahmed, has more. Whether it's the food we buy

or the fuel we fill up on, or the laptop we want

or the upgraded television, prices are rising, as inflation

creeps back into the UK economy. Today, it hit 2.3%,

the highest since 2013 Part of what is going

on is the effect of a fall in the price of sterling,

following the referendum. But there is often a number

of factors that will be going on. We've also seen commodity prices

around the world starting to rise, So, there are often

a number of factors, So, this is our workshop,

this is where we do... Rob runs a kitchen

business in Sheffield. For him, rising prices

are a headache. We've had price rises

on appliances and on components One reason we get them

in from Europe is the quality is there, which we don't have

in the UK. So, price rises on all

of those things. And it's very difficult for us

to pass all of those price rises on to our customers

in a very competitive market. Rising inflation has raised fresh

fears over a pay squeeze. In 2015, our incomes were increasing

at an average of 2.8%. At that time, prices

were only going up by 0.4%. Since then, inflation has

been increasing, today, For incomes, they did rise a little

but are now falling, to the same The consumer has kept spending

since the referendum, keeping the UK economy purring

along pretty nicely. But a recent survey of thousands

of consumers across Britain about what they were worried

about revealed that two concerns had leapt to the top of the list,

above concerns about immigration, And the two concerns are these -

the economy and rising prices. Attention now moves here,

Bank of England, where rising inflation often means one thing -

rising interest rates. But with those consumer concerns

and living standards under renewed pressure,

most economists believe we won't see The Scottish Parliament has begun

debating calls for a second Nicola Sturgeon has said it would be

completely unsustainable for Westminster to deny Scotland a

second vote. She wants a new referendum in 2018

or 2019, but still needs permission from Westminster,

and Theresa May has said Let's get the latest from our

Scotland editor, Sarah Smith. Nicola Sturgeon hopes she is

marching towards another vote on Scottish independence. The first

step is to get the Scottish Parliament to follow her and asked

the UK Government to allow a referendum. Whether we like it or

not, Scotland again faces a fundamental decision about what sort

of country we want to be. The question before this chamber is

simple - who gets to make that decision? For the UK Government to

stand in the way of Scotland even having the choice would be in my

view wrong, unfair and utterly unsustainable. Tories here and in

Westminster believe they can sustain their position, that now is not the

time. The people of Scotland do not want, it will not wash to have a

First Minister standing there, washing her hands, saying, it is not

me that dragging us there, it is with a heavy heart, a big Tory did

this, run away. It will not do. Nicola Sturgeon wakes up every

single day thinking of ways to engineer another referendum, because

leaving the UK is the only thing that matters to her. The SNP need

the greens to win the vote. They fear Scotland will not have a say in

the Brexit process. The citizens of Scotland, the only people voice less

in that process. I won't vote for it. The SNP will almost certainly

win this vote, even though the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems will

vote against them. The nationalists have got the numbers in Parliament.

But the opposition parties are sure that beyond here, Scottish voters

don't want another referendum. It is mostly no voters who don't want to

go through it all again. Many a voters can't wait for another

referendum. I don't think there should be another one. They had

their chance, and voted to remain part of the UK. Contact I think my

mother is completely wrong because we were basically promised we would

stay in the European Union, basically. And we are not in the

European Union, so that is a bit of a sore point for me. And I want to

be independent. The debate in Hollywood will continue tomorrow.

Debate over Scotland's feature will not be resolved so soon. There is a

long road ahead in this battle over who gets to decide when or if there

is a vote on independence. The writer Colin Dexter,

who created Inspector Morse, The Morse novels sold millions

and were adapted for television. Our arts correspondent Lizo Mzimba

looks back at his life. Morse and Lewis. Two of literature

and television's best-known policemen. So many crimes solved by

them over a pint. Which came first, the death or the theft? And

occasionally, under the watchful eye of their creator Colin Dexter.

Dexter came up with Morse during a wet family holiday in the nineteen

seventies. I gave him a few of my qualities, a liking for crosswords

and real ale and Richard Wagner and so on. So I suppose in a way it is a

composite factor, a slightly melancholy man. And a cheerful sort

of pessimist. Where do we start, sir? How the hell should I know?!

Hang on a minute, I am feeling as you are about being bounced along.

The books made his characters even more popular. As a writer, what I

will remember him for is the convoluted twists in his plots.

Nobody plotted with more deviousness than Colin Dexter. He had a mind

like a corkscrew. Morse ran for almost 15 years, its appeal not just

its complex storytelling but more the relationship of its two lead

characters. An added appeal for fans, the chance to spot Colin

Dexter's cameos in many scenes. People often ask me why I killed him

off. I say, I did not kill him off at all, I say, he died of natural

causes. His crime writing may have been dark and threatening. He will

be remembered as an author who was the opposite, warm, friendly and

loved by his fans. The writer Colin Dexter,

who has died at the age of 86. There is some much better weather on

the way, but today, it was a wintry scene in Scotland. If you managed to

miss the showers, it was not too bad, here, for example, in Norfolk.

But there's still quite a few showers to come in Scotland,

especially in northern Scotland. Showers running eastwards across

England and Wales at the moment, with thickening cloud behind. And we

will see that bringing some heavy rain in the south-west of England

and some hill snow. This will be bumping into the cold air across

Scotland and Northern Ireland. Dry for many parts of eastern England,

but there will be a stronger wind can appear, ahead of this rain which

will pivot very slowly eastwards and northwards. Northern Scotland

staying largely dry, fewer showers by the morning. It could be quite an

icy start. This weather front, not far away from the southern options.

If you're stuck underneath this wet weather across north Wales and

northern England, temperatures at six or seven, not a very nice day of

it is not quite as wet as we head into Thursday. Still got this arc of

rain, which will be working eastwards, we'd the rain petering

out. Best of the weather, for Scotland and Northern Ireland, after

another frosty start. I said things were settling down chosen by the

weekend, which is quite unusual, it will be much drier! But watch out,

the nights could be rather chilly. On BBC One, we now join the BBC's

news teams where you are.