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Tributes paid to respected moderate unionist politicians

FORMER Ulster Unionist assembly member Sir John Gorman has died at the age of 91.

He passed away at a nursing home close to his family home in Killyleagh, Co down on Monday.

Tributes have been paid to Sir John, who was best known for being a high-profile Catholic Unionist politician.

He was elected to the assembly in 1998 and was also chairman of the Northern ireland Forum.

He held the position of assembly deputy Speaker as well as heading up the Housing Executive and the Northern ireland Forum for Political dialogue.

He was also a decorated war hero of the Second World War.

Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said he was an "impressive" man adding that "Northern Ireland owes him a great debt".

Meanwhile, tributes have also been paid following the death of Sir Robert Porter QC, one of the last moderate unionists of the old Stormont government. A close supporter of former Northern Ireland prime minister, Captain Terence O'Neill, Sir Robert (90) died on Sunday.

He was a member of the unionist government which fell after trying to enact voting and other reforms in the months leading up to the start of the Troubles.

a former minister for Home affairs, he served on the Stormont government which abolished the B Specials following the highly critical Hunt Report. He previously served as minister for health.

Sir Robert resigned as home affairs minister in 1970, unhappy that he had not been consulted before the imposition of the Falls Curfew.

He left the Ulster Unionist Party in 1972 but joined the emerging alliance Party.

"He was a unionist but an irish unionist and was very proud of his irishness. He was a great supporter of Terence O'Neill and a friend of Paddy Devlin and Gerry Fitt," his daughter Kathryn Baird said.

* 'PROUD IRISH UNIONIST': Sir Robert Porter

* 'AN IMPRESSIVE MAN': Sir John Gorman