Henry Hemming on the Troubles, espionage and Stakenife

On this episode, Reaction’s political reporter Max Mitchell speaks to historian Henry Hemming about his new book Four Shots in the Night: A True Story of Stakeknife, Murder and Justice in Northern Ireland. They talk about the importance of intelligence during the Troubles, the evolution of the IRA and its eventual involvement in the democratic process, Margaret Thatcher’s lack of interest and inept diplomacy in Northern Ireland and Operation Kenova’s case against the agent known as Stakenife.