Lord Triesman, a former Labour minister and chair of the Football Association, has died at the age of 82. The Labour party said the peer died on Friday night “peacefully and at home”.
The former prime minister Tony Blair paid tribute to David Triesman as a “vital part of the New Labour movement”. Labour’s leader in the House of Lords, Angela Smith, described him as “respected and loved by his colleagues for his courtesy, kindness, wisdom, loyalty and generosity of spirit”.
Triesman was the general secretary of the Association of University Teachers trade union and the general secretary of the Labour party before he joined Blair’s government in the House of Lords in 2004.
He served as a Foreign Office minister and then later as undersecretary of state for innovation, universities and skills.
Triesman was later Labour’s shadow minister for foreign affairs and also sat on several prominent select committees.
Labour’s statement said: “He pursued a very active role in the House of Lords from 2004 until his death. And served as a lord in waiting to Queen Elizabeth II from 2004 to 2022.”
The party added: “A passionate Spurs fan, Lord Triesman became the first patron of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and the first independent chair of the FA (Football Association) from which platform he advocated intensely against racism in football and for the increased centrality of the women’s football.
“He later played an important role in the exposing of corruption within Fifa.”
In 2010, he resigned as FA chair after being secretly recorded making bribery allegations about rival countries’ attempts to host the men’s World Cup.
Blair, prime minister from 1997 until 2007, said in a statement: “David was a vital part of the New Labour movement and became in time a great friend.
“Passionate about the cause, whether the Labour party or football, he was deeply committed to making change to improve people’s lives.
“Unwavering in his loyalty and dedication, he was someone both liked and admired by those who had the privilege of working with him.
“He was a gentle, genuine, good guy who put others before himself naturally and without hesitation. My profound condolences to Lucy and all his family.”
Lady Smith said: “As a Labour peer, David was respected and loved by his colleagues for his courtesy, kindness, wisdom, loyalty and generosity of spirit.
“He was great company with a wide circle of friends who shared lively conversations on his many interests and enthusiasms, particularly, but not exclusively, politics and football.
“David bore his illness with amazing courage and even in the last weeks of his life he was engaging company. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him, but we are proud to have had his friendship.”
Hollie Ridley, Labour’s general secretary, also paid tribute to her predecessor.
She said: “Far too few general secretaries have had the privilege of serving the Labour party and the country while Labour is in power – and the work David did while in that role helped to ensure our campaign machinery had the solid foundations needed to help us go on to win that third term in government.
“His commitment to public service was admirable and he will be much missed by those who he worked so closely with.”
Triesman is survived by his wife, Lucy, and their daughter, Ilona.
