We are deeply saddened by the news that former ASA Council member Lord David Lipsey of Tooting Bec, has died.

Lord Lipsey served on ASA Council, the jury that decides whether advertisements have broken the rules, between 1999 – 2005. He was meticulous and forensic in carrying out his ASA work and championed the advertising regulatory system, both in post and beyond, including in various debates on advertising related matters in the House of Lords.

He remained in close contact with the ASA following his tenure on Council and often lodged valuable complaints to us where he saw issues of misleadingness or unfair practice. In particular, Lord Lipsey scrutinised the use of statistics to back up advertising claims and was quick to call out inaccurate or overblown figures. And, likely reflecting his passion for greyhound racing – he was Chair of the Greyhound Racing Board (2004 – 2009) – he regularly challenged our policy teams on the upkeep of the betting tipster clauses in the Advertising Codes.

Lord Lipsey had a diverse and high-profile career. He was a central figure in the Labour party which included acting as adviser to cabinet ministers and the prime minister, James Callaghan in the late 1970s. He was also a journalist, writing for the Sunday Times as economics editor as well as political editor of The Economist. He was made a life peer in 1999.

We remember him with fondness and send our deepest condolences to his family.