Still confused? Your guide to who the baddies were
IN THE end, Bodyguard seethed with three major – but separate – conspiracies and at least one red herring plot writes Jan Moir.
First, there was the Jihadi Conspiracy, in which master bomber Nadia plotted to take revenge on sergeant David Budd by blowing up the school his children attended.
Why? Because he had stopped her attacking a train in episode one, proving that no good deed goes unpunished. she also supplied organised crime boss Luke Aitkens (Matt stokoe) with the bomb that killed Home secretary Julia Montague, although that was the extent of their collaboration.
Then there was the Organised Crime Conspiracy, in which Aitkens was attempting to kill Montague because her beefed up surveillance RIPA-18 plans meant increased security into criminal communications, therefore curtailing his illegal activities. He bribed Chief superintendent Lorraine Craddock into revealing the Home secretary’s itinerary, resulting in the security breaches that eventually killed her.
He also wanted Montague dead because RIPA-18 would hand more powers to the security services. He wanted them to stay within the police, who he could manipulate through his long-term mole, Craddock. ‘For some years I disclosed sensitive information on police operations that might threaten his criminal activities,’ she admitted in custody.
Finally there was the security services Conspiracy, led by the organisation’s director general stephen Hunter-Dunn – partly in league with Montague her-
‘Threaten his criminal activities’
self. The Services were plotting to get rid of the Prime Minister and install Montague at No 10, because her RIPA-18 would give them greater powers. She was ambitious for the top job and appeared to have struck a deal for them to give her the kompromat – damaging information about the Prime Minister including claims of sex assault, drug addiction and financial impropriety. In exchange, she would give them more control over criminal and counter-terror activities.
There was also a Home Office plot to discredit Montague – but they did not appear to want to kill her. Or did they? In one telling exchange, Met Commander Anne Sampson confronted Hunter-Dunn and Home Office No 2, Mike Travis, over the kompromat.
‘You both have so much to lose that you never wanted its existence to be revealed because it would show the hand of the Security Services in a failed coup. And despite your convincing assurances that the Home Office’s role in Julia’s death was purely accidental, I wonder if the public will be equally convinced?’ she said.
In the end, Aitkens, Craddock and Nadia were charged with conspiracy to murder. Sergeant David Budd emerged as the hero of the hour, as we always knew he would.