Former chancellor Nigel Lawson has died at the age of 91.
Lawson’s support for the low-tax program for small governments under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher shaped the British state in the 1980s and is still considered a role model by conservative politicians.
His notable accomplishments included lowering the base tax rate from 30 percent at the start of his tenure in 1983 to 25 percent in 1988, and lowering the top tax rate from 60 percent to 40 percent over the same period.
Lawson was also a leading advocate for privatization in several key industries, initiating the privatization of gas and electricity and the sale of British Airways, British Telecom and British Gas.
While he is credited with boosting the country’s economic output, his detractors say the policies he pursued only encouraged entrenched poverty and inequality while keeping some of the views he championed later in life, especially on climate issues, highly controversial.
The politician was also an early and passionate supporter of an exit from the EU and was hailed by leading Eurosceptics as a “tool for Brexit” – both as one of the first major parliamentarians to advocate for an exit from the EU, and as the President of the Voice for the Exit. 2016 Campaign After the Brexit referendum, it was revealed that he had applied for a residence permit in France.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who worked with Lawson on the vote, paid tribute.
He wrote: “Nigel Lawson was a fearless and original flame of free market conservatism. He was a proponent of tax cuts and simplification, helped transform the economic landscape and helped millions of Britons achieve their dreams.
“He was a Brexit prophet and a lover of continental Europe. He was a giant. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “One of the first things I did as Chancellor was to hang a picture of Nigel Lawson over my desk.
“He was a transformative chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others. My thoughts at this time are with his family and friends.”
Former financial times Lawson, a journalist who was MP for Blaby from 1974 to 1992, joined Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet as Minister of Energy in 1981.
Two years later he was promoted to chancellor, a position he held for six years. His resignation in 1989, due to clashes with her economic adviser Alan Walters and alleged disagreements over the exchange rate mechanism, was seen as a turning point in Mrs Thatcher’s ouster.
The departure began a chain of events that led to Margaret Thatcher’s first leadership challenge, a year before the plot to remove her from power.
Documents released in 2019 reveal Mrs Thatcher’s personal anger at his demands, which she called “absurd” and “reprehensible”.
The ex-chancellor left the lower house in 1992 when he was promoted to the upper house. As Lord Lawson, he led the UK’s pro-Brexit Conservatives group and helped introduce the Leave vote ahead of the 2016 EU referendum.
He also ran a controversial climate skeptical think tank that campaigned against zero-emissions and climate change policies, leading to accusations of being a “climate denier”, though he prefers the term “climate change dissident”.
Speaking to The Independent in 2014, he lashed out at “alarmists” about global warming, stating that “global warming is out of the question now.” considering – although the IPCC clarifies that it is “an established fact” that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions “increase the frequency and/or intensity of some weather and climate extremes”.
Scientists were outraged when, in 2017, he was allowed to make undeniably false statements during a live BBC interview during a climate change discussion that the BBC at the time considered necessary to offset the issue.
After the controversy, new BBC rules were issued to journalists, which clearly state: “To achieve impartiality, you do not need to include outright climate change deniers in your BBC reporting, nor do you need someone to deny a victory Manchester United last Saturday 2-0. The referee has spoken.”
A colleague last spoke in the House of Lords in April 2019, when he warned against unleashing “unwanted rebellions” and creating an “ugly situation” if MPs refused to recognize the Brexit vote.
At the age of 90, he resigned from the House of Lords last December after almost five decades in Parliament and celebrated his 91st birthday last month.
He is survived by six children, including celebrity chef Nigella Lawson.
His continued influence on conservative thinking was made clear when tributes poured in from across the party on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said: “He was a giant who changed the political weather, a guiding light for conservatives and a kind man who was always generous with his wisdom. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Secretary of State James Cleverly added: “Sad news that Nigel Lawson has passed away. A true statesman. His contribution to this nation will not be forgotten.”
Tory leader Greg Hands wrote: “I am saddened to learn that Nigel Lawson has passed away.
“Until recently he worked extensively with conservatives and will be remembered for his clear thinking, commitment to free enterprise and willingness to challenge orthodoxy.”
Former Chancellor Sajid Javid said: “I am very sad to hear this. One of Britain’s greatest civil servants, especially as Chancellor.”
Continue.
Source: I News
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.