Arthur Davidson, a former government minister and a prominent legal expert, has died.

Born into a Jewish family in Liverpool, Mr Davidson went to Trinity College Cambridge, before serving in the merchant navy. A dedicated supporter of the Labour party, he unsuccessfully ran for Parliament in Blackpool South and Preston North before being elected to represent Accrington in 1966.

He was an MP for the next 17 years until the seat was abolished in 1983. He then stood for the new seat of Hyndburn, losing out by just 21 votes to his Conservative opponent. From 1974-1979, under two successive Labour governments, he served as a minister in the Attorney General’s office.

His legal career flourished alongside his time in Parliament. Called to the bar in 1953, he was appointed a QC in 1978. An expert on sports and media law, he represented stars such as Robbie Fowler, Frank Bruno and Kenny Dalglish.

He went on to work as legal director for a number of newspaper groups, including Associated Newspapers (the Daily Mail Group), the Mirror group, and the Express newspapers.

Mr Davidson is survived by a son, daughter and grandchildren. As reported in the Express, his funeral is being held today at the Liberal Jewish cemetery in North-West London.