Watching Channel Four's 'Mo' was deeply disturbing.
At times it was uncanningly accurate in portraying her voice and her demeanour. It was a brilliant performance by Julie Walters. There is little physical resemblance between the two women. The account of an ambitious unorthodox politician who fed off the adulation of men and the public in general was true. Her final bitterness and disappointment was painful to watch but inevitable because she had not expected the failure that ends 'all political lives' in Enoch Powell's judgement.
Mo was an able, decent politician. Her popularity was soundly fixed in public opinion, because of her openness and there was admiration of her courage. Her final desolation is a dire warning to politicians who hope for gratitude. It never comes even to the sainted Mo.
Perhaps it was for simplicity of the storey that only one of her junior ministers was included in the story. It was Adam Ingram and not Paul Murphy, even though Mo was close to Paul. The characterisations of Adam Ingram, Jon Norton and Peter Kilfoyle were unrecognisable.
I wonder who supplied the information on the private relations between the characters. A few conversations next week with some of the characters depicted might be enlightening. Adam Ingram and Peter Kilfoyle will be happy with the programme Peter Mandelson and David Trimble will not be.
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