26 Facts About Ian Gow

Ian Reginald Edward Gow was a British politician and solicitor.

Ian Reginald Edward Gow was born at 3 Upper Harley Street, London on Thursday 11 February 1937.

Ian Gow was the son of Alexander Edward Gow, a London doctor attached to St Bartholomew's Hospital who died in September 1952.

Ian Gow was educated at Sandroyd School and then Winchester College, where he was president of the debating society.

Ian Gow subsequently served in the territorial army until 1976, attaining the rank of major.

Ian Gow eventually became a partner in the London practice of Joynson-Hicks and Co.

Ian Gow stood for Parliament in the Coventry East constituency for the 1964 general election, but lost to Richard Crossman.

Ian Gow then stood for the Clapham constituency, a Labour-held London marginal seat, in the 1966 general election.

Ian Gow eventually succeeded at Eastbourne in 1972 after the local Party de-selected its sitting member, Charles Taylor.

Ian Gow entered the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Eastbourne in the general election of February 1974.

Eastbourne was then a safe Conservative seat, and Ian Gow always had a majority share of the vote during his time as MP.

Once Thatcher had forced Edward Heath out of the contest, several new candidates appeared and Ian Gow switched his support to Geoffrey Howe in the second round, which Thatcher won.

Ian Gow was brought onto the Conservative front bench in 1978 to share the duties of opposition spokesman on Northern Ireland with Airey Neave.

Ian Gow was appointed parliamentary private secretary to Margaret Thatcher in May 1979 at the time she became Prime Minister.

Ian Gow was deeply involved in the workings of Thatcher's private office until his departure in June 1983.

Ian Gow visited Rhodesia at the time of its Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965 and was critical of the country's white minority regime.

In November 1985, Ian Gow was persuaded by the speeches of his cousin Nicholas Budgen to resign as Minister of State in HM Treasury over the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

Ian Gow was a leading opponent of any compromise with republicans and his tactics in this regard caused concern to the Northern Ireland Secretary Jim Prior and other MPs.

Ian Gow's activities were said to have startled other Tory MPs and led to a complaint from an enraged Mr Prior to Mrs Thatcher.

Technically, Ian Gow was not the first MP to appear on camera in the chamber, as Bob Cryer, Labour MP for Bradford South, raised a point of order before Ian Gow presented the Loyal Address at the opening of Parliament.

In spite of his disagreement with the direction in which Government policy on Northern Ireland was moving, Ian Gow remained on close terms with Thatcher.

Ian Gow enjoyed friendships with people of various political persuasions, including left-wing Labour MP Tony Banks.

Ian Gow married Jane Elizabeth Packe was born on 1944 and in Yorkshire on 10 September 1966.

Ian Gow died 10 minutes later as emergency workers removed him from the wreckage of his car.

The IRA claimed responsibility for killing Ian Gow, stating that he was targeted because he was a "close personal associate" of Thatcher and because of his role in developing British policy on Northern Ireland.

Ian Gow continues to promote the life and work of her first husband.