Mowlam, Mo

▪ 2006

Marjorie Mowlam  British politician (b. Sept. 18, 1949, Watford, Hertfordshire, Eng.—d. Aug. 19, 2005, Canterbury, Kent, Eng.), as the U.K.'s Northern Ireland secretary (1977–99), used her direct, earthy language to break down barriers between rival groups of politicians and paramilitary groups; she was instrumental in the successful peace negotiations between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Protestant Unionists that led to the 1998 Good Friday (or Belfast) Agreement. An outspoken and often irreverent supporter of the Labour Party's shift from the left wing toward the centre ground, she was also noted for her unusual ability to communicate with voters. Mowlam received a degree in anthropology from Durham University (1970) and a Ph.D from the University of Iowa (1977). She taught political science at Florida State University (1977–79) and Newcastle University (1979–83) before entering Parliament in 1987. During the run-up to the 1997 general election, she was criticized in the media for putting on weight. When she disclosed that this (and her thinning hair) was a side effect from treatment for a benign brain tumour, she gained a great deal of public sympathy. In January 1998 Mowlam entered Belfast's Maze prison and persuaded two of the key Protestant paramilitary leaders, who were serving jail sentences, to support the peace process that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement three months later. As time passed, the Unionists lost confidence in Mowlam, accusing her of being too soft on Sinn Fein, the political party associated with the IRA. In October 1999 Blair moved her to the Cabinet Office. Mowlam felt increasingly sidelined and powerless and left the government and Parliament at the 2001 general election.

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