, ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁app alling ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁lose ▁his ▁life ▁because ▁of ▁these ▁qual ities ." ▁In ▁her ▁aut obi ography , ▁The ▁Down ing ▁Street ▁Years , ▁Margaret ▁Th atch er ▁described ▁his ▁murder ▁as ▁an ▁" ir replace able ▁loss ". ▁ ▁The ▁I RA ▁claimed ▁responsibility ▁for ▁killing ▁G ow , ▁stating ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁target ed ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁" close ▁personal ▁associate " ▁of ▁Th atch er ▁and ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁role ▁in ▁developing ▁British ▁policy ▁on ▁Northern ▁Ireland . ▁ ▁After math ▁E valu ations ▁of ▁G ow ' s ▁political ▁career ▁by ▁ob itu ar ists ▁were ▁mixed ▁in ▁tone . ▁All ▁commented ▁on ▁his ▁personal ▁charm ▁and ▁his ▁skills ▁in ▁public ▁speaking ▁and ▁political ▁man oe uv re . ▁But ▁his ▁ob itu ary ▁in ▁The ▁Times ▁stated , ▁" It ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁said ▁that ▁his ▁res ignation ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁cut ▁short ▁a ▁brilliant ▁minister ial ▁career ". ▁A ▁t endency ▁toward ▁political ▁intr igue ▁( for ▁example , ▁trying ▁to ▁cover t ly ▁und erm ine ▁Jim ▁Prior ' s ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁initi ative ▁after ▁ 1 9 8 2 ) ▁made ▁him ▁enemies . ▁Nicholas ▁Bud gen ▁commented ▁that ▁G ow ' s ▁personal ▁dev otion ▁to ▁Th atch er ▁may ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁good ▁for ▁Th atch er ▁or ▁her ▁government . ▁ ▁G ow ' s ▁wid ow ▁Jane ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁DB E ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁and ▁thus ▁became