Tributes from across Northern Ireland’s political divide have been paid to Christopher Stalford, a Democratic Unionist party member of the Northern Ireland assembly who has died suddenly at the age of 39.
The DUP leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, said he had talked at length on Friday night with Stalford, whom he described as a friend and as someone who had been “born to be a public representative”.
“He was passionate about Northern Ireland and wanted the best for his constituents. I was never to know how precious that conversation was to be,” said the MP.
Stalford, who was seven when his father died aged 26 from a bleed on his brain, was born in Belfast, where he studied at Queen’s University after becoming involved in politics as a teenager. After graduating, he worked for a number of the DUP’s elected representatives and later in the party’s press office and policy unit.
In 2005, at the age of 22, he was elected to Belfast city council, the youngest person on the local authority, to represent the city’s Laganbank area.
He was elected as the high sheriff of Belfast in 2010 and as deputy lord mayor in 2013. Three years later, he was elected to represent Belfast South in the Northern Ireland assembly, and from January 2020 he served as the principal deputy speaker of the assembly. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and their four children.
Referring to their Friday night conversation, Donaldson said that Stalford’s pride in his family had been apparent. He added: “He talked about his eldest child transferring to big school and the discussions that were ongoing in the home.”
Sinn Féin’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, who was the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland until earlier this month, extended her sympathies, tweeting: “Desperately sad news of the sudden passing of DUP Assembly member Christopher Stalford.”
Brandon Lewis, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, also expressed his condolences on social media, adding: “As MLA and Principal Deputy Speaker, Christopher was passionate about crucial issues that affected people across NI and was dedicated to building a better Northern Ireland for everyone.”
The Irish taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of the DUP politician, adding: “He served the people of South Belfast diligently and with integrity, working tirelessly to improve housing and education.”
Stalford was described as “a genuine and funny person” by the leader of the Alliance party, Naomi Long, who said he had been dedicated to public service.
“Christopher revelled in the role of principal deputy speaker of the assembly, carrying out his duties in an even-handed and fair manner, no matter the situation,” she added.
The leader of the Ulster Unionist party, Doug Beattie, said: “This is absolutely tragic and shocking news which will be felt by every single person who worked at Stormont.”
The SDLP postponed its spring conference, which had been due to take place on Sunday, as a mark of respect.
Its leader, Colum Eastwood, said: “Christopher and I knew each other for more than 20 years and this news has come as such a shock. I don’t think there was a single political issue that Christopher and I agreed on, but one of my defining memories will be his great ability to disagree well.”