Tributes have been paid to former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Lord Molyneaux who has died at the age of 94.

The current leader Mike Nesbitt hailed James Molyneaux for bringing stability to his party and country during bloody and turbulent years in Northern Ireland. Mr Molyneaux led the party from 1979 to 1995.

Mr Nesbitt said the UUP had lost "one of its greatest".

"Lord Molyneaux led the party during some of Northern Ireland's most bloody and turbulent years, providing leadership not only to the Ulster Unionist Party during that time, but also to the country," he said.

"He led for 16 years, a remarkable feat given the party had no fewer than four different leaders in the 16 years prior to him taking over. The stability he offered was critical, as was his unbending passion for securing Northern Ireland's place within the Union. This was particularly key during the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, a challenge of seismic proportions within unionism."

Mr Nesbitt said Lord Molyneaux's experience in Bergen Belsen concentration camp stayed with him for the rest of his life.

"I believe that experience crystallised the values that guided his political life," he said.

"He was no showman, but a man of immense guile, playing the game of political chess, ignoring the cheap headlines to focus on strategic outcomes.

"The sight of Lord Molyneaux as Ulster Unionist Party leader wearing his medals as he laid the wreath on behalf of the party at the Cenotaph in London every Remembrance Sunday was a powerful image which epitomised the ideals of dignity and service which he embodied.

"On behalf of the party, I give thanks for a long life, well-lived, in dedicated service to the people."

Democratic Unionist leader Peter Robinson said Lord Molyneaux was "first and foremost a committed unionist".

"Everything he worked for in politics had the preservation and promotion of the Union at its core," he said.

"Through his service in the RAF in World War Two and 27 years as a Member of Parliament he was marked by a quiet determination and diplomacy.

"Jim's leadership encompassed many difficult years for unionism and his skills were key to ensuring that the Ulster Unionist Party held together when there were competing viewpoints about how to move forward.

"Having worked with him throughout those years I can pay tribute to those skills and to his devotion to Northern Ireland and the Union."

Former prime minister Sir John Major said he was "one of the unsung heroes of the Irish peace process."

He added: "During its early stages in the 1990s, I found his private assessments of what could be achieved invaluable. His pragmatism and willingness to accept moves towards peace - even when he was dubious about them himself and despite internal opposition to them in his Ulster Unionist Party - was vital to progress."

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