South Down MP Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) has paid tribute to former NIO minister, the late Paul Goggins, who she described as ‘a man of great integrity’.
Ms Ritchie said: “On behalf of the SDLP, I want to tender my deepest and heartfelt sympathy to Paul’s widow Wyn, and to his children; one of whom I knew particularly well, Dominic.
“I have known Paul for several years. He was a minister in the Northern Ireland Office when Labour was in government and that was up until 2010, and when I was elected MP I got to know him as a member of our sister party and would have worked with him on Northern Ireland and on welfare reform issues.
“I am very saddened by the passing of Paul. He was a man of immense stature. He was a reserved gentleman, but he put forward his viewpoint in a very direct and reasonable way. He was a person of great integrity and who served his constituents exceedingly well and, only yesterday, we were dealing with amendments to welfare reform and one of the names on those amendments was the late Paul Goggins.
“Paul’s loss is for Parliament, his constituents but, most of all, his family and I express my deepest, heartfelt sympathy to them,” aded Ms Ritchie.
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