THE North-East public are being asked for their views on a lasting tribute to Mo Mowlam and what form it should take.

Dr Mowlam was MP for Redcar, east Cleveland, between 1987 and 2001 and her death on Friday produced a wealth of tributes.

Redcar MP Vera Baird and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's mayor, Councillor Peter Spencer, have asked for the public's input on the best ways to preserve her memory.

Coun Spencer said: "It's important that we try to involve as many people as possible in any decision on a permanent tribute for Mo."

He said any decisions would have to be run by Dr Mowlam's family and suggested a memorial or a scholarship in her name as possibilities.

Mrs Baird spoke of her sadness at the loss of a "great woman" and said she would take steps to found a Mo Mowlam Memorial Lecture to take place each year in September on what would have been Dr Mowlam's birthday.

"It will be good for all of us at this mournful time to invest effort into setting up an annual event that makes sure that she is remembered here in Teesside," said Mrs Baird.

"She made such a contribution here, not just to politics, but to improving life in so many ways.

"Though Mo was a great politician, she was a woman with many compartments in her life. I think we should ask the Prime Minister to deliver the first lecture as a mark of respect for her achievements."

When asked about the plans for a memorial to Dr Mowlam, Labour MP Ashok Kumar said: "This seems to be a great idea. Mo was both a national figure and a local hero. She deserves a suitable memorial so that people in the future will realise and appreciate the contribution she made to their world."

Last Friday, Mr Kumar said: "She was never a grey person. Despite the pressures of office she was approachable, open and always irreverent to those people who clung to protocol and pomposity. She helped shape the Labour party of today and for that alone she will be remembered for many years to come."