Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has apologised for comments he made saying IRA members should be "honoured".
The MP has come under fire since his appointment when it was revealed he made the statment in 2003 at a gathering in London commemorate IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.
Mr McDonnell, appointed by new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was sorry his words had caused offence and apologised "from the bottom of my heart".
He said: "What I tried to do for both sides is to give them a way out with some form of dignity otherwise they wouldn't lay their arms down."
He added: "And can I just say this, because this has been raised with me time and time again - I accept it was a mistake to use those words, but actually if it contributed towards saving one life, or preventing someone else being maimed it was worth doing, because we did hold on to the peace process.
"There was a real risk of the republican movement splitting and some of them continuing the armed process. If I gave offence, and I clearly have, from the bottom of my heart I apologise, I apologise."
Speaking on BBC Question Time, he also said he was sorry for saying that if he could go back in time he would "assassinate Thatcher".
Challenged on this remark by a member of the audience, he said: "It was an appalling joke. It's ended my career in stand-up, let's put it that way, and I apologise for it as well."
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