The death was announced this morning of the former Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam.
She was 55 and had been critically ill. Friends yesterday said her condition was rapidly deteriorating.
Ms Mowlam had been transferred to a hospice in Kent where she died. Earlier this month, she banged her head and never regained consciousness.
Doctors gave no details of her illness, including whether or not it was connected to a previous brain tumour. Ms Mowlam had difficulties with her balance as a result of radiotherapy treatment for the tumour.
Ms Mowlam - one of New Labour's most popular figures - stood down from the Commons at the 2001 general election after 14 years as an MP.
She was made Northern Ireland Secretary when Labour came to power in 1997 and she quickly made a name for herself as a down-to-earth and brutally honest operator and negotiator.
She won widespread acclaim for her perseverance in working towards the Good Friday Agreement the following year. Her achievements were all the more remarkable because she was recovering from treatment for the brain tumour at the time.
Renowned for her light-hearted disregard of formality, kicking off her shoes and chewing gum in meetings, she reputedly took her wig off to break tension in talks.
She took a particular political risk in 1998 by entering the Maze Prison to speak to convicted paramilitaries when it became clear the peace process needed their backing.
Loyalist UDA/UFF prisoners had previously withdrawn their support. After her face-to-face talks with the prisoners, the paramilitaries' political representatives then announced they were rejoining the talks.
However, there was growing opposition to her from more mainstream unionists.
In 1999 she was replaced by Peter Mandelson and moved to become Cabinet enforcer. Her time in the post was marked by a steady stream of reports that someone in high places was briefing against her.
She became even more outspoken after she stood down as an MP, saying it was harder and harder to defend what the Labour government was doing.
Ms Mowlam was born in Watford on 18 September 1949. She attended Coundon Court Comprehensive School in Coventry before going on to study at Durham and Iowa universities.
Ms Mowlam worked as a lecturer and university administrator before being elected MP for Redcar in 1987.
In 1995 she married Labour-supporting merchant banker Jon Norton, already a father of two.
