Tony Worthington obituary

Labour MP who served as a Northern Ireland minister in the run-up to the Good Friday agreement and was active on behalf of asbestos victims

The Labour MP Tony Worthington, who has died aged 84, served as a minister in the Northern Ireland Office at a crucial time – in the run-up to the Good Friday agreement – and won widespread respect for his campaigning on behalf of victims suffering from asbestos-related diseases.

Having been an opposition spokesperson under Mo Mowlam, he was appointed to her ministerial team when Labour came to power in 1997, with community relations as part of his portfolio. With a personality that exuded calm reasonableness, Worthington was well qualified to earn trust in that role.