He was elected the High Sheriff of Belfast in 2010 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2013.

In 2016, Mr Stalford was elected to represent South Belfast in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and from January 2020 he served as the principal deputy speaker of the Assembly.

Sir Jeffrey added: “I’ve no doubt that one day Christopher would have been the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, something that would have made him immensely proud, given the very humble background that he came from.

“Christopher was very articulate, he made some fine speeches in the Assembly.

“He also had a great sense of humour. Even in dark moments, Christopher had the capacity to just lift the mood, say something that would bring a little bit of light into a very difficult situation.

“He was passionate about working for a better future. Our political world today is, I’m afraid, a sadder place without Christopher.”

Mr Stalford and his wife, Laura, a former dental nurse, have four children: Trinity, Oliver, Cameron and Abigail.