K
Kathy
Guest
Evidently asked for her treatment to be stopped.
Very sad.
Very sad.
Diminuendo
At the Start
A very brave and gutsy lady. I admired her for her dogmatic attitude and tireless energies. Another great loss.
Shadow Leader
At the Start
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2003
- Messages
- 9,884
She was a brave woman, having suffered a lot of pain through illness. At least she can rest in peace now. By all accounts she had not regained conciousness from a fall suffered earlier in the month. RIP Mo Mowlam.
G
Griffin
Guest
Very sad news.
Muttley
At the Start
She was an extraordinary woman with seemingly limitless guts and determination.
Very, very sad.
RIP
Very, very sad.
RIP
Merlin the Magician
At the Start
I'LL endorse that statement to Jules.......... one of the HONEST people one could trust in this Labour party along with the late ROBIN COOK and JOHN SMITH............. R.I.P. MO you were a good-un...........
Merlin the Magician
At the Start
THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE BBC SITE.........
Mowlam, who was 55, died at the Pilgrim's Hospice in Canterbury at 8.10am on Friday morning.
She previously suffered a brain tumour and had difficulties with her balance as a result of radiotherapy treatment.
Earlier this month she fell and banged her head and never regained consciousness.
She was taken to King's College Hospital and was transferred last week to the hospice.
In accordance with her wishes food and water were withdrawn in the last few days and her condition had been reported to be seriously deteriorating on Thursday night.
Family representative Brian Basham said on Friday morning: "Mo Mowlam passed away today at 8.10 am.
"Her family wishes to thank the many well wishers who have sent cards, messages and flowers and to say that, although, the funeral will be a private family occasion, there will be a memorial event in a few months."
Mowlam was one of the most popular members of the Cabinet during her spell in Tony Blair's government.
Following Labour's 1997 election landslide she became Northern Ireland secretary, where her 'no nonsense' approach won many friends as well as enemies.
She was praised for her stewardship of the negotiations which led to the 1998 Good Friday agreement despite unionist suspicions that she was overly sympathetic to nationalists.
The determination to carry on as a Cabinet minister in a tough role despite treatment for a brain tumour made her even more widely admired.
During negotiations with Northern Ireland's politicians she would throw her wig on the table in frustration, adding to the perception that she was a no-nonsense, honest and open operator.
Her approach was said to have alienated then Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, who preferred to talk directly to Number 10.
Talks
In 1998, after loyalist UDA/UFF prisoners withdrew their support for the peace process, she took a particular political risk by going inside the Maze Prison to hold talks.
She spoke to the prisoners face-to-face for 60 minutes and two hours later the paramilitaries' political representatives announced they were rejoining the talks.
Mowlam told reporters at the time: "I didn't negotiate, I didn't do a deal. If you want progress, you ain't going to get it if you don't have talks."
But the failure of the Northern Ireland parties to agree on full implementation, and the release of IRA prisoners without a parallel surrender of arms, led to criticism from the Conservatives.
There were also calls for her sacking by unionists, who lost confidence in her when she insisted the agreement had not been broken by the IRA.
She made the peace agreement a personal triumph, but full reconciliation eluded both her and the Northern Ireland secretaries who followed.
Despite the controversy, she will still be best remembered for her role in securing the Belfast Agreement that has led to years of comparative peace in Northern Ireland.
Downfall
Some commentators believe her popularity, which led to a standing ovation when she was mentioned during a Labour Party conference speech by Tony Blair, sowed the seeds of her downfall.
In 1999 she was replaced as Northern Ireland secretary by Peter Mandelson, moving across to become Tony Blair's Cabinet "enforcer".
She had commented previously that the role was "minister for the Today programme".
Mowlam was increasingly sidelined by the prime minister.
The MP for Redcar from 1987 to 2001, she stood down from the Cabinet after a briefing campaign by people close to senior members of the government.
Unorthodox
As a politician, Mowlam revelled in being original and unorthodox and was never scared to express her opinion.
She said she had not meant to offend the royal family by restating her belief that they should move out of Buckingham Palace, adding that she was "no great fan of the royals".
And she was the first minister in charge of drugs policy to admit that she had tried illegal drugs.
"I haven't made any secret of being a child of the '60s, never have," she said.
"I tried marijuana, I didn't like it particularly - and unlike President Clinton, I did inhale."
Mowlam was born in Watford on September 18, 1949 and attended Coundon Court Comprehensive School, before going on to study at Durham and Iowa Universities.
She worked as a lecturer and university administrator before pursing her political career and married merchant banker Jon Norton in 1995.
Published: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:34:00 GMT+01
I WONDER IF BLAIR WILL NOT ATTEND THIS FUNERAL AS WELL?????
Mowlam, who was 55, died at the Pilgrim's Hospice in Canterbury at 8.10am on Friday morning.
She previously suffered a brain tumour and had difficulties with her balance as a result of radiotherapy treatment.
Earlier this month she fell and banged her head and never regained consciousness.
She was taken to King's College Hospital and was transferred last week to the hospice.
In accordance with her wishes food and water were withdrawn in the last few days and her condition had been reported to be seriously deteriorating on Thursday night.
Family representative Brian Basham said on Friday morning: "Mo Mowlam passed away today at 8.10 am.
"Her family wishes to thank the many well wishers who have sent cards, messages and flowers and to say that, although, the funeral will be a private family occasion, there will be a memorial event in a few months."
Mowlam was one of the most popular members of the Cabinet during her spell in Tony Blair's government.
Following Labour's 1997 election landslide she became Northern Ireland secretary, where her 'no nonsense' approach won many friends as well as enemies.
She was praised for her stewardship of the negotiations which led to the 1998 Good Friday agreement despite unionist suspicions that she was overly sympathetic to nationalists.
The determination to carry on as a Cabinet minister in a tough role despite treatment for a brain tumour made her even more widely admired.
During negotiations with Northern Ireland's politicians she would throw her wig on the table in frustration, adding to the perception that she was a no-nonsense, honest and open operator.
Her approach was said to have alienated then Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, who preferred to talk directly to Number 10.
Talks
In 1998, after loyalist UDA/UFF prisoners withdrew their support for the peace process, she took a particular political risk by going inside the Maze Prison to hold talks.
She spoke to the prisoners face-to-face for 60 minutes and two hours later the paramilitaries' political representatives announced they were rejoining the talks.
Mowlam told reporters at the time: "I didn't negotiate, I didn't do a deal. If you want progress, you ain't going to get it if you don't have talks."
But the failure of the Northern Ireland parties to agree on full implementation, and the release of IRA prisoners without a parallel surrender of arms, led to criticism from the Conservatives.
There were also calls for her sacking by unionists, who lost confidence in her when she insisted the agreement had not been broken by the IRA.
She made the peace agreement a personal triumph, but full reconciliation eluded both her and the Northern Ireland secretaries who followed.
Despite the controversy, she will still be best remembered for her role in securing the Belfast Agreement that has led to years of comparative peace in Northern Ireland.
Downfall
Some commentators believe her popularity, which led to a standing ovation when she was mentioned during a Labour Party conference speech by Tony Blair, sowed the seeds of her downfall.
In 1999 she was replaced as Northern Ireland secretary by Peter Mandelson, moving across to become Tony Blair's Cabinet "enforcer".
She had commented previously that the role was "minister for the Today programme".
Mowlam was increasingly sidelined by the prime minister.
The MP for Redcar from 1987 to 2001, she stood down from the Cabinet after a briefing campaign by people close to senior members of the government.
Unorthodox
As a politician, Mowlam revelled in being original and unorthodox and was never scared to express her opinion.
She said she had not meant to offend the royal family by restating her belief that they should move out of Buckingham Palace, adding that she was "no great fan of the royals".
And she was the first minister in charge of drugs policy to admit that she had tried illegal drugs.
"I haven't made any secret of being a child of the '60s, never have," she said.
"I tried marijuana, I didn't like it particularly - and unlike President Clinton, I did inhale."
Mowlam was born in Watford on September 18, 1949 and attended Coundon Court Comprehensive School, before going on to study at Durham and Iowa Universities.
She worked as a lecturer and university administrator before pursing her political career and married merchant banker Jon Norton in 1995.
Published: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:34:00 GMT+01
I WONDER IF BLAIR WILL NOT ATTEND THIS FUNERAL AS WELL?????
H
Hunneyb
Guest
Very sad to go so young after a tough fight. She seemed a very honest, decent and brave woman. THoughts with her family.
K
Kathy
Guest
I agree hunnyb! Many people respected her sheer guts and determination, and I loved the fact she didn't give a damn about losing her hair and the way she looked especially as she was such a high profile figure for a while. She also spoke her mind and wouldn't be bullied by those that continually tried to belittle her at times.
RIP Mo!
RIP Mo!
She's shamed the toadying Mandy and Blair, who, presumably like Mrs Thatcher, feels there's room for only one face on camera (his) and no room for independent, but especially intelligent, thinking. If you weren't in lockstep with the Iron Lady, you got sidelined to obscurity. Looks like Tony's taken more than one leaf out of the Tories' Book of Autonomous Leadership...
A
Ardross
Guest
Mo Mowlam and Robin Cook dead