Lord Triesman, former Labour minister and ex-chairman of the Football Association, has died aged 82.
Labour figures paid their respects to their colleague, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praising his “brilliant contribution to our party and country” and former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair describing him as “a vital part of the New Labour movement”.
Born David Triesman in London, he joined Blair’s government as Foreign Office minister in 2004, and sat on several prominent select committees, holding an active role in House of Lords until his death.
As FA chair between 2008 and 2010, he campaigned against racism in the sport and was a vocal supporter of women’s football.
Lord Triesman was the general secretary of the Association of University Teachers, and the general secretary of the Labour Party, before he joined the Blair government in the House of Lords.
When Labour went into opposition in 2010, he became shadow minister for foreign affairs in the Lords.
A passionate Spurs fan, Lord Triesman was the first independent chair of the FA.
He stood down from the role – as well as chair of England’s 2018 World Cup bid – in May 2010 following a tabloid newspaper sting in which he was recorded accusing rival bidders of bribery. Lord Triesman said the remarks were part of a private conversation and “never intended to be taken seriously”.
In the following years he suggested that football’s ruling body Fifa needed a culture change to tackle corruption allegations it faced.
In a statement, the Labour Party said Lord Triesman died on Friday night “peacefully and at home”.
The prime minister said on X he was “saddened” to hear of the death.
Sir Tony said he was “passionate about the cause, whether the Labour Party or football, he was deeply committed to making change to improve people’s lives.”
“He was a gentle, genuine, good guy who put others before himself naturally and without hesitation,” he added in a statement.
Leader of the House of Lords, Labour peer Baroness Angela Smith said Lord Triesman was “respected and loved by his colleagues for his courtesy, kindness, wisdom, loyalty and generosity of spirit”.
Lord Triesman leaves behind his wife, Lucy, and their daughter, Ilona.