We are very sorry to hear of the death of Alice Mahon on Xmas Day. Alice was formerly MP for Halifax and was stalwartly anti war. She was one of the foremost campaigning MPs against the Iraq war in 2003, and worked particularly closely with Tam Dalyell, then the ‘father of the house,’ in organising parliamentary opposition. Alice was a patron of the Stop the War Coalition up to her death.
Alice was a warm working class Yorkshire woman who was committed to campaigning on a range of issues. On the left of the Labour Party, she was – like Jeremy Corbyn – always to be relied upon to speak out against injustice. Her commitment to peace and anti war campaigning was unwavering, and continued after she left parliament. She was born shortly before the Second World War and talked movingly about the experience of war. She played a key role in opposing the war in the Balkans, particularly the Nato bombing of Kosovo in 1999, one of a small number of MPs to do so.
She will be sadly missed, but remembered fondly as an MP who was also a socialist and stood by her principles. Our condolences to her family, and to her many friends and comrades in Yorkshire and elsewhere.
Lindsey German
On behalf of the Stop the War Coalition