Former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble dies aged 77

Former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble has died, it was announced tonight. The Ulster Unionist Party issued a statement on behalf of the family confirming the news. Lord Trimble was 77.

"It is with great sadness that the family of Lord Trimble announce that he passed away peacefully earlier today following a short illness," read the statement.

He's been hailed as one of the principal architects of the Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement, ending decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Lord Trimble, who jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize along with SDLP leader John Hume, passed away on Monday, the party confirmed. The Co Down man distinguished himself in an academic career in the law faculty at the Queen’s University Belfast before moving into politics.

He initially became involved in the unionist offshoot organisation Vanguard in the early 1970s and while he was best known for his involvement with the Belfast Agreement, in his younger days he had opposed an earlier attempt, the Sunningdale Agreement. He went on to join the then dominant Ulster Unionist Party in 1978. It was at the university in 1983 that he heard the IRA’s gunshots which killed his fellow law professor and UUP colleague Edgar Graham and later identified the body.

He left academia for politics full time when he was elected as MP for Upper Bann following a by election in 1990 after the death of the incumbent Harold McCusker.

Lord Trimble rose to prominence partly due to the Drumcree dispute as nationalist residents opposed the procession of an orange parade along the Garvaghy Road. He led the parade along the road in 1995, famously joining hands with Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer