Mowlam presented a ‘kissing kit’ to Irish official at meeting
FORMER Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam presented an Irish government official with a “kissing kit” at a meeting, newly released records reveal.
The bizarre episode occurred during the late Labour politician’s time as Shadow Secretary of State in the mid-1990s. It is outlined in a memo intriguingly headlined “Snog of a lifetime — lunch with Dr Mowlam”.
The document is part of a cache of previously classified government papers released today by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
The memo from Joint Secretary PN Bell from March 1996 is contained in a folder of Anglo-irish Secretariat delegation meetings.
Despite the dull title, the file contains one observer’s unusual account about Dr Mowlam’s early dealings in Northern Ireland.
Mr Bell was reporting on a lunch meeting he attended with Dr Mowlam and an official named only as Mr Dowling, representing the Irish Government.
Referring to Dr Mowlam’s attitude to alcohol, he wrote: “You will also wish to note that Dr Mowlam prefers doing business ‘dry’ to be followed, if necessary, by a not necessarily wholly teetotal entertainment: work first, pleasure later.
“Which brings me to the osculation. Dr Mowlam opened proceedings, before going on to her mission statement, by presenting both Mr Dowling and myself with a ‘Comic Relief Kissing Kit’.”
Interestingly, the section that follows is redacted, with no detail given on the Irish delegation’s reaction to the strange gift.
In a run-through of the meeting, Mr Bell said Dr Mowlam had made a number of significant points, including how “a future Labour Government would be committed to maintaining a good working relationship with the Irish”.
She also noted how “the balance of change in Northern Ireland was in a nationalist direction; it was therefore all the more important to address unionist concerns where we could”.
Mr Bell notes some candid remarks made at the meeting, which came a year before Labour swept to power under Mr Blair in 1997, including how a Labour government would be viewed with suspicion by unionists.
He added: “Two clearly political points to which, as a Civil Servant, I closed my ears even though unaccountably I had helped set them up, were, first, that Dr Mowlam expected the ‘bi-partisan policy’ to collapse ‘within two days’ of a new Labour Government in part owing to the ‘natural affinity’ between Conservatives and Unionists.
“Faced with some for the horrid scenarios of the summer, including HMG being urged on by Nationalists/sinn Fein (after a ceasefire) to face down militant Unionists at Drumcree, she could easily envisage all the GB press denouncing a Labour Government [redacted].
“In such circumstances she could see herself only lasting three months in the job.
“Second, she explained that Labour backbenchers had been deeply affronted by recent Unionist behaviour.
“Mr Dowling lit up with pleasurable anticipation, like a hedgehog in heat. ‘Why,’ he asked, ‘Because they hadn’t brought the Government down.’
“Nothing, but nothing as subsequent discussions revealed, about Unionist attitudes in the Talks or more generally.”