Mo Mowlam
Encyclopedia
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British
Labour Party
politician. She was the Member of Parliament
(M.P.) for Redcar
from 1987
to 2001
and served in the Cabinet
as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
, Minister for the Cabinet Office
and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
.
Mowlam's time as Northern Ireland Secretary saw the signing of the historic Good Friday Peace Agreement
in 1998. Her personal charisma, reputation for plain speaking and her fight against a brain tumour
led her to be perceived by many as one of the most popular "New Labour" politicians in the UK. When Tony Blair
mentioned her in his speech at the 1998 Labour Party Conference, she received a standing ovation.
, Hertfordshire
, England, the middle of three children of Tina and Frank, but grew up in Coventry
, where her father rose to become Coventry's assistant postmaster. She would later be awarded the Freedom of the City
in 1999. She was the only one of the family's three children to pass the 11-plus exam. She started at Chiswick
Girls' grammar school in West London, then moved to Coundon Court School
in Coventry, which, at the time, was one of the first comprehensive schools in the country. She then studied at Trevelyan College
, Durham University, reading sociology
and anthropology
. She joined the Labour Party in her first year. She worked for then-Labour MP Tony Benn
in London and American writer Alvin Toffler
in New York, moving to the United States
with her then-boyfriend and studying for a PhD
in political science
at the University of Iowa
on the effects of the Swiss system of referenda
.
Mowlam was a lecturer in the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1977 and at Florida State University
in Tallahassee from 1977 to 1979. During her time in Tallahassee, her apartment was broken into by someone who she suspected was Ted Bundy
, a serial killer and rapist who murdered thirty-five young women and attacked several others.
Mowlam returned to England in 1979 to take up an appointment at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1981, she organised a series of alternative lectures to the Reith lecture
s being given that year by Laurence Martin
, the university's vice chancellor. These were published as Debate On Disarmament, with their proceeds going to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
.
on 24 June 1995; Norton died on 3 February 2009. She had no children.
, Mowlam was selected as Labour candidate for the safe seat of Redcar
after James Tinn
stood down. She took the seat in the 1987 general election
, becoming the Labour spokesperson on Northern Ireland
later that year. Together with Labour leader John Smith
, Mowlam was one of the architects of Labour's "Prawn Cocktail Offensive
" dedicated to reassuring the UK's financial sector about Labour's financial rectitude. Subsequently, she held a variety of posts and was made Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
in 1994 by Tony Blair. She initially resisted being appointed to the position, preferring an economic portfolio, but, after accepting it, threw her weight into the job.
Following John Smith's death, Mowlam, alongside Peter Kilfoyle
, became a principal organiser of Blair's campaign for the Labour leadership. As a Shadow Secretary of State for National Heritage in Smith's shadow cabinet, she had earlier antagonised both monarchists and republicans by calling for Buckingham Palace
to be demolished and replaced by a "modern" palace built at public expense. Later, her willingness to speak her mindoften without regard to the consequenceswas seen as her greatest strength by her supporters.
, the first and currently only woman to have held the post. She was successful in helping to restore an IRA
ceasefire and including Sinn Féin
in multi-party talks about the future of Northern Ireland
. In an attempt to persuade the Ulster loyalists to participate in the peace process, she paid an unprecedentedand potentially dangerousvisit to loyalist prisoners in the Maze prison
, meeting convicted murderers face-to-face and unaccompanied.
Mowlam saw through the Good Friday Agreement
signing in 1998, which led to the temporary establishment of a devolved power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly
. However, an increasingly difficult relationship with Unionist
parties meant her role in the talks was ultimately taken over by Tony Blair and his staff, prompting Mowlam to remark to then-US President Bill Clinton
"Didn't you know? I'm the new tea lady around here".
Whilst her deteriorating relationship with Unionists was the key reason Mowlam was replaced as Northern Ireland Secretary in October 1999 by Peter Mandelson
, her move to the relatively lowly position of Cabinet Office Minister may have involved other factors, notably her health and her popularity. Mowlam resented being appointed to the post, having previously disparaged it as "Minister for the Today programme
". As Cabinet Office Minister, she was reportedly intended to be Tony Blair's "enforcer".
Although Mowlam was head of the Government's anti-drugs campaign, in 2002 she called for international legalisation. She caused some controversy when she admitted in 2000 to having used cannabis
as a student, saying "I tried dope. I didn't particularly like it. But unlike President Clinton, I did inhale".
and relinquished her seat at the 2001 general election
.
After retirement from the House of Commons, she became a noted critic of government policy on various issues, especially foreign policy towards Iraq
.
Following her retirement, Mowlam became agony aunt for the men's magazine Zoo. She said she missed her constituency work as an MP. She also set up a charity, MoMo Helps, to help drug users who are successfully completing their rehabilitation and provide support for the parents or carers of disabled children.
Her political memoirs, entitled Momentum: The Struggle for Peace, Politics and the People, were published in 2002.
On 3 August 2005, the BBC reported that she was critically ill at King's College Hospital
in London. She appeared to have suffered from balance problems as a result of her radiotherapy. According to her husband, she had fallen over on 30 July 2005, receiving head injuries and never regaining consciousness. Her living will
, in which she had asked not to be resuscitated
, was honoured.
On 12 August 2005, she was moved to Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury
, Kent
, where, seven days later, aged 55, she died. She was survived by her husband, Jon Norton (who died in February 2009 aged 53) and by two stepchildren. Mowlam died thirteen days after Robin Cook
, another member of the 1997 New Labour Cabinet.
In January 2010, it was revealed by her ex-doctor that her tumour had been cancerous and was the cause of her death. Despite recommendations, she had withheld the true nature of her condition from Tony Blair
and the electorate.
Mowlam was an atheist and was cremated in Sittingbourne
on 1 September 2005 at a non-religious service conducted by Richard Coles
formely of 1980s band The Communards
. Half of her ashes were scattered at Hillsborough Castle
(the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's official residence) and the other half in her former parliamentary constituency of Redcar.
on 20 November 2005, another at Hillsborough Castle on 1 December 2005 and another in Redcar on 3 December 2005.
To honour Mowlam, Redcar and Cleveland Unitary Authority
commissioned an official memorial mosaic
which was unveiled at Redcar's newly refurbished boating lake on 23 October 2009. An intricate 800-tile mosaic, set in a three metre raised circle, was created by local artist John Todd to illustrate her life and interests. The mosaic has her portrait as the centrepiece, surrounded by images including the beach where she loved to walk, racehorses at Redcar Racecourse
(where she celebrated her wedding), the Redcar steelworks, the Zetland Lifeboat
, clasped hands and doves (to symbolise the Northern Ireland peace process
) and the Houses of Parliament.
commissioned a docudrama
tic film, Mo
, portraying Mo Mowlam's life from the Labour election victory of 1997 to her death in 2005. The film starred Julie Walters
as Mowlam. Mo was broadcast on 31 January 2010 and attracted over 3.5 million viewers, making it Channel 4's highest-rated drama since 2001. The film was also a critical success, with MP Adam Ingram
claiming that it "brought home the essence of Mo". Mo was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Single Drama with Julie Walters
and Gary Lewis
receiving nominations for, respectively, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. The Best Actress award was given to Walters.
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British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician. She was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(M.P.) for Redcar
Redcar (UK Parliament constituency)
Redcar is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
from 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
to 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
and served in the Cabinet
Blair Ministry
Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for three successive parliamentary terms from 1997-2007. His Cabinet was reshuffled for each new parliament as well as changed during the three periods.-Formation:...
as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
, Minister for the Cabinet Office
Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Minister for the Cabinet Office is a position in the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. The post of Minister of the Cabinet Office is sometimes derided as the Minister for the Today programme.-Ministers for the Cabinet Office:...
and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
.
Mowlam's time as Northern Ireland Secretary saw the signing of the historic Good Friday Peace Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
in 1998. Her personal charisma, reputation for plain speaking and her fight against a brain tumour
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
led her to be perceived by many as one of the most popular "New Labour" politicians in the UK. When Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
mentioned her in his speech at the 1998 Labour Party Conference, she received a standing ovation.
Early life
Mowlam was born at 43 King Street, WatfordWatford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England, the middle of three children of Tina and Frank, but grew up in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, where her father rose to become Coventry's assistant postmaster. She would later be awarded the Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
in 1999. She was the only one of the family's three children to pass the 11-plus exam. She started at Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
Girls' grammar school in West London, then moved to Coundon Court School
Coundon Court School
Coundon Court School is a comprehensive school in Coundon, Coventry, England. The current head teacher is Mrs Deborah Morrison, OBE. The school has been awarded specialist status as a Technology College.-Overview:...
in Coventry, which, at the time, was one of the first comprehensive schools in the country. She then studied at Trevelyan College
Trevelyan College
Trevelyan College, often abbreviated to Trevs, is a college of the University of Durham in North Eastern England. Founded in 1966, the college takes its name from social historian George Macaulay Trevelyan, Chancellor of the University from 1950 to 1957. Originally an all-female college , the...
, Durham University, reading sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. She joined the Labour Party in her first year. She worked for then-Labour MP Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
in London and American writer Alvin Toffler
Alvin Toffler
Alvin Toffler is an American writer and futurist, known for his works discussing the digital revolution, communication revolution, corporate revolution and technological singularity....
in New York, moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with her then-boyfriend and studying for a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
on the effects of the Swiss system of referenda
Voting in Switzerland
Voting in Switzerland is the process by which Swiss citizens make decisions about governance and elect officials. Voting takes place over the weekend, with emphasis being put on the Sunday...
.
Mowlam was a lecturer in the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1977 and at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in Tallahassee from 1977 to 1979. During her time in Tallahassee, her apartment was broken into by someone who she suspected was Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy
Theodore Robert "Ted" Bundy was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women during the 1970s, and possibly earlier...
, a serial killer and rapist who murdered thirty-five young women and attacked several others.
Mowlam returned to England in 1979 to take up an appointment at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1981, she organised a series of alternative lectures to the Reith lecture
Reith Lecture
The Reith Lectures is a series of annual radio lectures given by leading figures of the day, commissioned by the BBC and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service....
s being given that year by Laurence Martin
Laurence Martin
Sir Laurence Woodward Martin Kt DL is a former Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University.-Career:Educated at St Austell Grammar School, Christ's College, Cambridge and Yale University, Martin joined the Royal Air Force as a Flying Officer in 1948. He became Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at...
, the university's vice chancellor. These were published as Debate On Disarmament, with their proceeds going to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
.
Personal life
Mowlam married Jonathan Norton, a City of London banker, in County DurhamCounty Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
on 24 June 1995; Norton died on 3 February 2009. She had no children.
Member of Parliament
Having failed to win selection for the 1983 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, Mowlam was selected as Labour candidate for the safe seat of Redcar
Redcar (UK Parliament constituency)
Redcar is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
after James Tinn
James Tinn
James Tinn was a British Labour Party politician.Tinn was educated at Ruskin College and Jesus College, Oxford and became a teacher...
stood down. She took the seat in the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, becoming the Labour spokesperson on Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
later that year. Together with Labour leader John Smith
John Smith (UK politician)
John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...
, Mowlam was one of the architects of Labour's "Prawn Cocktail Offensive
Prawn Cocktail Offensive
The Prawn Cocktail Offensive was the scornful name given to the British Labour Party's successful attempt to win trust and backing from the United Kingdom's financial sector....
" dedicated to reassuring the UK's financial sector about Labour's financial rectitude. Subsequently, she held a variety of posts and was made Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is a member of the UK Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and his department, the Northern Ireland Office. The post is currently held by Shaun Woodward...
in 1994 by Tony Blair. She initially resisted being appointed to the position, preferring an economic portfolio, but, after accepting it, threw her weight into the job.
Following John Smith's death, Mowlam, alongside Peter Kilfoyle
Peter Kilfoyle
Peter Kilfoyle is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton from 1991 to 2010.-Early life:...
, became a principal organiser of Blair's campaign for the Labour leadership. As a Shadow Secretary of State for National Heritage in Smith's shadow cabinet, she had earlier antagonised both monarchists and republicans by calling for Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
to be demolished and replaced by a "modern" palace built at public expense. Later, her willingness to speak her mindoften without regard to the consequenceswas seen as her greatest strength by her supporters.
In government
In 1997, Mowlam was once again re-elected as MP for Redcar with an increased majority of 21,667. She was made Secretary of State for Northern IrelandSecretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
, the first and currently only woman to have held the post. She was successful in helping to restore an IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
ceasefire and including Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
in multi-party talks about the future of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. In an attempt to persuade the Ulster loyalists to participate in the peace process, she paid an unprecedentedand potentially dangerousvisit to loyalist prisoners in the Maze prison
Maze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
, meeting convicted murderers face-to-face and unaccompanied.
Mowlam saw through the Good Friday Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
signing in 1998, which led to the temporary establishment of a devolved power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
. However, an increasingly difficult relationship with Unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
parties meant her role in the talks was ultimately taken over by Tony Blair and his staff, prompting Mowlam to remark to then-US President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
"Didn't you know? I'm the new tea lady around here".
Whilst her deteriorating relationship with Unionists was the key reason Mowlam was replaced as Northern Ireland Secretary in October 1999 by Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
, her move to the relatively lowly position of Cabinet Office Minister may have involved other factors, notably her health and her popularity. Mowlam resented being appointed to the post, having previously disparaged it as "Minister for the Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
". As Cabinet Office Minister, she was reportedly intended to be Tony Blair's "enforcer".
Although Mowlam was head of the Government's anti-drugs campaign, in 2002 she called for international legalisation. She caused some controversy when she admitted in 2000 to having used cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
as a student, saying "I tried dope. I didn't particularly like it. But unlike President Clinton, I did inhale".
Retirement
On 4 September 2000, Mowlam announced her intention to retire from ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and relinquished her seat at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
.
After retirement from the House of Commons, she became a noted critic of government policy on various issues, especially foreign policy towards Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
Following her retirement, Mowlam became agony aunt for the men's magazine Zoo. She said she missed her constituency work as an MP. She also set up a charity, MoMo Helps, to help drug users who are successfully completing their rehabilitation and provide support for the parents or carers of disabled children.
Her political memoirs, entitled Momentum: The Struggle for Peace, Politics and the People, were published in 2002.
Illness and death
Five months before the 1997 general election which took Labour to office, Mowlam was diagnosed with a brain tumour, a fact she tried to keep secret until the tabloid press started to print jibes about her appearance. Although she claimed to have made a full recovery, the various treatments caused her to lose most of her hair. She often wore a wig, which she would sometimes casually remove in public stating that it was "such a bother".On 3 August 2005, the BBC reported that she was critically ill at King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
in London. She appeared to have suffered from balance problems as a result of her radiotherapy. According to her husband, she had fallen over on 30 July 2005, receiving head injuries and never regaining consciousness. Her living will
Living will
An advance health care directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, or advance decision, are instructions given by individuals specifying what actions should be taken for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or...
, in which she had asked not to be resuscitated
Do not resuscitate
In medicine, a "do not resuscitate" or "DNR" is a legal order written either in the hospital or on a legal form to respect the wishes of a patient to not undergo CPR or advanced cardiac life support if their heart were to stop or they were to stop breathing...
, was honoured.
On 12 August 2005, she was moved to Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, where, seven days later, aged 55, she died. She was survived by her husband, Jon Norton (who died in February 2009 aged 53) and by two stepchildren. Mowlam died thirteen days after Robin Cook
Robin Cook
Robert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001....
, another member of the 1997 New Labour Cabinet.
In January 2010, it was revealed by her ex-doctor that her tumour had been cancerous and was the cause of her death. Despite recommendations, she had withheld the true nature of her condition from Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and the electorate.
Mowlam was an atheist and was cremated in Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
on 1 September 2005 at a non-religious service conducted by Richard Coles
Richard Coles
Richard Coles is a musician, journalist and Church of England priest. He is known for having been the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band The Communards, who achieved three Top Ten hits, including the Number 1 record and best-selling single of 1986, a Hi-NRG...
formely of 1980s band The Communards
The Communards
The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
. Half of her ashes were scattered at Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle is an official government residence in Northern Ireland. It is the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the official residence in Northern Ireland of HM Queen Elizabeth II The Secretary of State combines two roles...
(the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's official residence) and the other half in her former parliamentary constituency of Redcar.
Memorials
A memorial service was held for Mowlam at The Theatre Royal, Drury LaneTheatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
on 20 November 2005, another at Hillsborough Castle on 1 December 2005 and another in Redcar on 3 December 2005.
To honour Mowlam, Redcar and Cleveland Unitary Authority
Redcar and Cleveland
The borough of Redcar & Cleveland is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Eston, Skelton and Loftus. It had a resident population of 139,132 in 2001, and is part of the Tees...
commissioned an official memorial mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
which was unveiled at Redcar's newly refurbished boating lake on 23 October 2009. An intricate 800-tile mosaic, set in a three metre raised circle, was created by local artist John Todd to illustrate her life and interests. The mosaic has her portrait as the centrepiece, surrounded by images including the beach where she loved to walk, racehorses at Redcar Racecourse
Redcar Racecourse
Redcar Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England.Its address is Redcar Racecourse Ltd, Thrush Road, Redcar TS10 2BYRedcar is Yorkshire's seaside track, oval-shaped and perfectly flat...
(where she celebrated her wedding), the Redcar steelworks, the Zetland Lifeboat
Zetland Lifeboat
The Zetland is the oldest surviving lifeboat in the world. It is currently in a free museum in Redcar. The name Zetland comes from the local Lord of Manor, the Marquess of Zetland. The Zetland is on the National Register of Historic Ships....
, clasped hands and doves (to symbolise the Northern Ireland peace process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
) and the Houses of Parliament.
Docudrama
In 2009, Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
commissioned a docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
tic film, Mo
Mo (film)
Mo is a 2010 TV film about the later life and career of the British Labour Party politician Mo Mowlam, written by Neil McKay and directed by Philip Martin.-Synopsis:...
, portraying Mo Mowlam's life from the Labour election victory of 1997 to her death in 2005. The film starred Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
as Mowlam. Mo was broadcast on 31 January 2010 and attracted over 3.5 million viewers, making it Channel 4's highest-rated drama since 2001. The film was also a critical success, with MP Adam Ingram
Adam Ingram (Labour politician)
Adam Paterson Ingram is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow from 1987 to 2010.-Early life:...
claiming that it "brought home the essence of Mo". Mo was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Single Drama with Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
and Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis may refer to:* Gary Lewis , son of Jerry Lewis and lead singer of Gary Lewis & the Playboys* Gary Lewis , Scottish actor...
receiving nominations for, respectively, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. The Best Actress award was given to Walters.
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