Mowlam fighting for life in hospital

FORMER Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam was yesterday fighting for her life in hospital.

The popular politician previously suffered a brain tumour and her increasingly frail appearance in recent months prompted fresh fears for her health.

She was admitted to London’s King’s College Hospital at the weekend.

A hospital spokeswoman described her condition as “critical but stable”.

It remained unclear as to whether her illness was a recurrence of the brain tumour.

The ex-MP for Redcar 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.

However, there was growing opposition towards her from more mainstream Unionists.

When Peter Mandelson replaced her in 1999 she was handed the Cabinet “enforcer” role and did a good job of hiding her disappointment.

She became even more outspoken after she stood down as an MP, saying it was “harder and harder to defend what the Labour Government is doing.”

“We have a Prime Minister who has thrown away the British constitution and seems to see himself as our president,” she added.