Christopher Stalford: DUP MLA was ‘humble, loving and kind’on February 26, 2022 at 3:07 pm

Mourners are gathering in south Belfast for the funeral of the Democratic Unionist Party politician, Christopher Stalford, who died last week.

The 39-year-old father-of-four is being remembered at a Presbyterian Church service on Saturday afternoon, following a private service at his family home.

Mr Stalford was the principal deputy speaker at the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He also held a seat in South Belfast.

Among the first to arrive at the service at Ravenhill Presbyterian Church were DUP MLAs and MPs, including Paul Givan, Mervyn Storey, Ian Paisley and Gregory Campbell.

Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey and his Sinn Féin party colleagues John O’Dowd and Deirdre Hargey are in attendance.

Also at the service is Ulster Unionist (UUP) leader Doug Beattie, Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, Alliance leader Naomi Long, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MP Claire Hanna, former DUP leader Peter Robinson, PSNI deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton, loyalist Jackie McDonald and the grand secretary of the Orange Order, the Rev Mervyn Gibson.

One of Mr Stalford’s DUP colleagues is expected to speak at the funeral service, as well as Presbyterian Minister Rev Marty Gray.

Outside the church where the funeral is being held, two election posters used previously by Mr Stalford were tied to the railings.

After his sudden death a week ago, there were tributes from politicians on all sides at Stormont and also from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Following his death, Mr Stalford’s family issued a statement saying “Laura (his wife) and the Stalford family thank everyone for their kind messages and lovely words in recent days, they have been so comforting to the family at this incredibly sad time.”

Before being elected to Stormont in 2016, Mr Stalford served on Belfast City Council, where he was deputy mayor and high sheriff of the city.