Mowlam battles brain tumour in London hospital

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam is today 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.

Mowlam 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 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.

She reportedly called Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness “babe” during a phone conversation.

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.