Lord Mawhinney obituary

Conservative cabinet minister who went on to become chairman of the Football LeagueBrian Mawhinney, Lord Mawhinney, was the first Ulsterman to join the cabinet in 59 years when he became transport secretary in 1994. Like many transport ministers, Mawhinney, who has died aged 79, lasted barely a year in the post.He inherited rail privatisation and moved Railtrack into the private sector more quickly than planned. He worked to build bridges with the environmental lobby and tried to stimulate a deb