“Alice was a socialist, a feminist, and an internationalist, someone for whom peace figured centrally in her values. A lifelong CND supporter and anti-war campaigner”
By Carol Turner
Many of us who knew Alice Mahon, personally or by repute, will readily agree there aren’t too many in the House of Commons today like the former MP for Halifax. A working class woman and committed trade unionist, she stood for parliament ‘to make a difference’ – and that’s exactly what she did.
Alice was a socialist, a feminist, and an internationalist, someone for whom peace figured centrally in her values. A lifelong CND supporter and anti-war campaigner, many remember for her best for her outspoken opposition to the bombing of Iraq in 1991 and 2003, and for her stand against NATO bombardment of former Yugoslavia in 1995 and 1999.
She opposed South African apartheid, supported the rights of Palestinian and opposed Israel’s attacks on the Occupied Territories. There’s no doubt what her position would be today on the humanitarian atrocities and genocide in Gaza.
Alice Mahon was:
- a feminist, hounded and stalked by the anti-abortion lobby during the four general elections she fought in Halifax.
- a former nurse and NUPE shop steward who held the NHS to be Britain’s most popular institution, who was ashamed when New Labour supported its partial privatisation.
- a staunch supporter of the Good Friday peace process
- an anti-racist who loved that some of her grandchildren shared an African-Caribbean as well as her own Yorkshire heritage she was so proud of.
She left parliament in 2005 and resigned from the Labour Party in 2009, disgusted by the Blair government’s wars in the Middle East and saddened by the direction New Labour was taking the party in. She rejoined again in 2015 when Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader and was devastated by the barrage of attacks that followed from the PLP and the media.
Alice Mahon was, quite simply, someone who worked hard at living a life in line with her socialist and internationalist principles. Join Jeremy Corbyn and friends to remember and celebrate her life.
- Join Jeremy Corbyn and friends to remember and celebrate her life at the commemorative event ‘Alice Mahon: A Political Life’ on Monday, 12th February. Register your place here.
- If you have photographs and memories of your own you’d like to share, please send them to labourcnd@gmail.com.
