Mowlam critically ill in London hospital
Ms Mowlam previously suffered a brain tumour and her increasingly frail appearance recently prompted fresh fears for her health.
The ex-MP is at London’s King’s College Hospital where a spokeswoman described her condition as “critical but stable”.
One of New Labour’s most popular figures, she quit the Commons at the 2001 election after 14 years. She was made Northern Ireland Secretary when Labour swept to power in 1997 and quickly made a name for herself as a down-to-earth and often too honest politician.
Ms Mowlam, 55, won universal admiration for her perseverance in working towards the Good Friday peace agreement the following year.
It was magnified by the fact that she was recovering from treatment for the brain tumour at the time.
Renowned for her light-hearted disregard of formality, kicking off her shoes and chewing gum at meetings, she is reputed to have removed her wig to break the tension during key meetings.
She reportedly called Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness “babe” during a phone call.
She took a particular political risk in 1998 by entering the infamous Maze Prison to speak with convicted paramilitaries when it became clear the peace process needed their backing.
Loyalist UDA/UFF prisoners had previously withdrawn their support.
She spoke to the prisoners face-to-face for 60 minutes and two hours later the paramilitaries’ political representatives announced they were rejoining talks.
However, there was growing opposition towards her from more mainstream unionists. When she appeared alongside replacement Peter Mandelson in 1999 many thought she had been made health secretary.
Instead, she was handed the “enforcer” role.
