Former Alliance Party leader dies aged 79

Former Alliance Party leader Sean Neeson has died at the age of 79.

Mr Neeson served as leader of the party from 1998 to 2001.

He was elected as party leader following Lord Alderdice’s resignation.

Mr Neeson served as a Stormont assembly member for East Antrim for more than 10 years and was active in politics for decades.

Alliance leader Naomi Long paid tribute to Mr Neeson and said he had shown leadership “at a time when the party needed it, and we will always be grateful to him for that”.

“Known for getting things done, Sean was a dedicated public servant who delivered for everyone in Carrickfergus as a councillor and then the wider East Antrim area when he became an MLA, a role he was delighted to take on,” she added.

“In later years, Sean’s passion for Alliance and Northern Ireland as a whole continued, and I was delighted he was well enough to join us at conference just last year.”

Mr Neeson was also a member of the Northern Ireland Forum in the run-up to the Good Friday Agreement and served as mayor of Carrickfergus from 1993 to 1994.

A former teacher, he was Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1982 to 1986.

He was also a member of the Northern Ireland Police Authority from 1991 to 1997.

One of his predecessors as Alliance leader, John Cushnahan, said he was mourning someone “who was not only a close political colleague but, more importantly, a close friend for over five decades”.

He added that Mr Neeson’s political contribution had “often been underestimated and his record of public service has not been given the true credit it deserved”.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said Mr Neeson was a “strong voice for his constituents and, as a political leader, he was a passionate advocate for the beliefs and principles that guided him”.

“His respectful approach earned him recognition across the political spectrum,” he said.

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MP Colum Eastwood said Mr Neeson had “a quiet conviction and was well respected across Ireland and Britain for his empathy and genuine approach to getting things done”.

Former Ulster Unionist Party leader and Northern Ireland Assembly deputy speaker, Steve Aiken, said that “for many, including quite a few in my family”, Mr Neeson “was always Mr Carrick”.

“He was first and foremost a leader in his community,” he added.