Mo Mowlam has died

[chrishansenhome]

according to BBC News. I liked her, as did many others, including Labour activists. She was convinced that the 2-minute standing ovation she received when the Prime Minister mentioned her in a conference speech turned him against her.

She's been ill for a while, and apparently she fell in her home and hit her head, thus losing consciousness, never regaining it.

It'll be interesting to see whether Our Tone will interrupt his holiday for her funeral (assuming it is held before he and the family return from wherever they are at the moment). I suspect not, as it would be an even greater slap-in-the-face for Robin Cook's family if he attended hers after not attending Cook's. The newspapers and tabloids (I separate them intentionally, as I don't believe that tabloids are newspapers within the meaning of the Act) of course, will crucify him whatever he does. If he stays away, they'll just say that he's again proved his callousness and vindictiveness toward former colleagues, even after death. If he goes, they'll contrast this with his non-attendance at Cook's funeral. Perhaps the family will spare his blushes by holding a private funeral with a memorial service to be held later. Then again, maybe they'll maximise his embarrassment by holding a very public funeral and asking him to attend.

Comments

[keith-london.livejournal.com]

I doubt if staying away from Cook's funeral is an indication of vindictiveness on Tony's part. One thing I did wonder was whether the Cook family would have liked Tony to be there anyway! Having said that, Gaynor (Cook's wife) was very annoyed with the political outburst made at her husband's funeral by Channel 4 racing pundit, John McCririck. So really, it's only political mischief makers that made much of Tony's absence!

Mo and Tony were very close in spite of their political differences, it has been said, so perhaps he will attend her funeral.

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

Well, perhaps carelessness. Politicians son learn that if something important happens while they're on holiday, or otherwise engaged (can we say, G8 summit?) they need to get back to their desks, fast, so that people won't think they're loafing. It's one of the responsibilities of the job. He didn't go to Cook's funeral, and got lambasted for it. He's already had holiday trouble over accepting stays in his chums' luxurious villas, so he should have, at the very least, publicly offered to come or shown willing. He could then have said that he stayed away at the request of Cook's family and would be coming to the memorial service.

Let's see what the newspapers make of it if Tony attends Mo's funeral.