- 13 Apr 2018 11:43
#14905725
Everyone involved in achieving the peace in Northern Ireland deserves credit. It is the 20th anniversary. Tony Blair gave his speech; predicably his ego took over. He seems to claim 100% credit.
Pathetic.
As the stepdaughter said, Mo Mowlam deserves more than he. Which he neglected to mention
Pathetic.
As the stepdaughter said, Mo Mowlam deserves more than he. Which he neglected to mention
As I watched the 20-year celebrations of the Good Friday agreement play out, my frustration and anger began to boil over. “Where the fuck is she?” I wanted to shout at the television and radio. As the day went on I decided to just avoid the media altogether; it was only going to make me cross, and that’s not what the day was about. It was a day to celebrate something extraordinary, the impossible becoming possible.
Mo Mowlam was my stepmum, but for most people she is remembered for the work she did helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland. When Mo arrived as Northern Ireland secretary in 1997, the job was reputed to be a “poisoned chalice”. However, Mo not only brought the opposing parties to the table but also helped persuade a country of divided communities to come together for the sake of peace and progress.
I missed Mo more this week than I do on the anniversary of her death, or her birthday. Her absence was everywhere in the British media’s coverage of the anniversary of the agreement. I felt powerless as I watched the old guard being paraded across our screens. In their defence, Mo can’t be there of course. She died from cancer back in 2005.
On Tuesday, Tony Blair gave his speech in Belfast on the anniversary of the agreement signing. It was a stark oversight that he didn’t even mention her name. He made no acknowledgment of her role in the negotiations at all. Perhaps he was afraid that he might get another standing ovation about someone else in the middle of one of his speeches?
I would go so far as to say that without Mo there would be no peace process in Northern Ireland. She applied her own distinctive personality and approach to the job. She demonstrated empathy and understanding. She recognised and listened to victims and survivors. She worked closely with the men but also very importantly the women – mothers, daughters, girlfriends and wives – of Northern Ireland in order to achieve peace.
"Why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones?" Lord Varys, Game of Thrones.