Lord George Thomson, a minister in Harold Wilson�s Labour government and chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority, has died, it was announced at the weekend.

Lord George Thomson, a minister in Harold Wilson's Labour government and chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority, has died, it was announced at the weekend.

Baron Thomson of Monifieth, 87, died at St Thomas' Hospital in London. His family said he had been suffering from a viral infection.

Lord Thomson was born in Stirling, and his family moved to Monifieth, outside Dundee, when he was two.

He became Labour MP for Dundee East in 1952 and held the seat until his resignation in 1972.

Among the ministerial positions he held were Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs.

He served as a British Commissioner of the European Community for four years from 1973, and went to the House of Lords in 1977.

He was chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority from 1981 to 1988.

He joined the Liberal Democrats in 1989 and spoke in the House of Lords for the party on foreign affairs and broadcasting.

His widow, Lady Grace Thomson, said: "He loved his time in Dundee.

"It was his own town and he loved the people. He only left to go to Europe, which was a very important cause to him."

Lord Thomson also leaves two daughters, Caroline and Ailsa.

Responding to the death of Lord Thomson, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: "George Thomson was a man of great stature and integrity, who dedicated his life to public service.

"My thoughts, and those of all my parliamentary colleagues, are with his family at this time."

Jim Murphy, the new Secretary of State for Scotland, said: "The death of George Thomson is very sad news indeed.

"He served his home city of Dundee and the Labour Party with distinction and conviction as an MP and European Commissioner, but always had a wider understanding of the world in which we live."