FORMER Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, who lives in Kent, is still "critical but stable" in hospital.

Ms Mowlam, 55, was admitted to Kings College Hospital, London, at the weekend.

Hospital staff would not give more details of Ms Mowlam’s illness or say whether it was connected to a previous brain tumour.

Ms Mowlam, who lives at Little Murston Farm, Conyer, near Sittingbourne, was MP for Redcar between 1987 and 2001. She oversaw the talks which led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

As a minister, Ms Mowlam, who is married to merchant banker Jon Norton, was a popular and charismatic figure, known for her outspoken views and sense of humour.

In 1998, as Northern Ireland Secretary, she went inside the Maze Prison when it became clear that the peace process would only succeed with the backing of the prisoners. The loyalist UDA/UFF prisoners had previously withdrawn their support for the process.

She spoke to the prisoners face-to-face for 60 minutes, and two hours later, the paramilitaries’ political representatives announced they were being allowed to rejoin the talks.

She told reporters at the time: "I didn’t negotiate, I didn’t do a deal. If you want progress, you ain’t going to get it if you don’t have talks."

In 1999 she was replaced as Northern Ireland secretary by Peter Mandelson, and became Tony Blair’s cabinet "enforcer". She subsequently stood down as an MP and in recent years has pursued a career in the media.