Conservative peer Brian Mawhinney dies aged 79 - BBC News
Lord Mawhinney was the former chairman of both the Conservative Party and the Football League.
The politician had a Commons career that lasted more than 25 years

The Conservative peer Brian Mawhinney has died at the age of 79.

The Belfast-born former chairman of the Conservative Party joined the House of Lords in 2005 after standing down as MP for North West Cambridgeshire.

In 2003 he was appointed as chairman of the Football League, a role he carried out for seven years.

In a statement, his family said the "much-loved husband, father and grandfather and a friend to many" died on Saturday after a long illness.

"His death brings an end to a life dedicated to public service and rooted in an unwavering Christian faith," the statement said.

He was first elected to the Commons in 1979 as MP for Peterborough, becoming North West Cambridgeshire MP on the creation of that constituency in 1997. He was knighted in the same year.

In his role as chairman of the Football League, Lord Mawhinney was involved in England's 2018 World Cup bid

He had a Commons career that lasted more than 25 years, and served as transport secretary under John Major. He also served as a minister in the Northern Ireland Office for four years until 1990.

During his time as Football League chairman, Lord Mawhinney introduced the fit and proper persons test for prospective club directors and was made a life member of its successor, the EFL.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by iain watson This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

EFL chairman Rick Parry said: "Everyone associated with the EFL is saddened to hear of the loss of Lord Mawhinney, a hugely respected and influential figure in our recent past, most notably for his work as chairman of the Football League but also for the significant impact he had on the wider game."

Former Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson paid tribute to Lord Mawhinney, calling him a "dedicated man of faith, a diligent public servant, dynamic advocate for the city and a generous mentor and supporter".

Shailesh Vara, who succeeded Lord Mawhinney as MP for North West Cambridgeshire, tweeted: "Very sorry to hear of the sad passing of Lord Mawhinney. He was firm in his Christian faith and totally committed to public service. He will be missed by many. Thoughts and prayers with his family and friends at this difficult time."