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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Nigel Lawson: Reforming chancellor dies aged 91 | Nigel Lawson: Reforming chancellor dies aged 91 |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher applauding Nigel Lawson at the 1989 Conservative Party Conference | Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher applauding Nigel Lawson at the 1989 Conservative Party Conference |
| Former Conservative Chancellor Nigel Lawson has died at the age of 91. | |
| Holding several cabinet posts under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, he was seen as one of the most consequential of all post-war UK chancellors. | Holding several cabinet posts under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, he was seen as one of the most consequential of all post-war UK chancellors. |
| Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called him an "inspiration to me and many others". | Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called him an "inspiration to me and many others". |
| He is credited with creating powerful entrepreneurial forces in a decade also remembered by many communities around the UK as a time of widening inequality and painful deindustrialisation. | He is credited with creating powerful entrepreneurial forces in a decade also remembered by many communities around the UK as a time of widening inequality and painful deindustrialisation. |
| Lord Lawson is survived by six children, including Nigella Lawson, a food writer and celebrity cook. | Lord Lawson is survived by six children, including Nigella Lawson, a food writer and celebrity cook. |
| Obituary: Nigel Lawson | Obituary: Nigel Lawson |
| The prime minister posted a picture of himself as chancellor with the caption: "One of the first things I did as chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk." | The prime minister posted a picture of himself as chancellor with the caption: "One of the first things I did as chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk." |
| In other tributes: | In other tributes: |
| Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Lawson a "fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism" who "helped millions of British people achieve their dreams" | Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Lawson a "fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism" who "helped millions of British people achieve their dreams" |
| Fellow former Prime Minister Liz Truss described him as a "true giant of 20th Century politics", adding "his time at the helm of the Treasury was transformational" | Fellow former Prime Minister Liz Truss described him as a "true giant of 20th Century politics", adding "his time at the helm of the Treasury was transformational" |
| Current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said his shoes had been "impossible to fill" but he "inspired all his successors, leaving the country more prosperous and enterprising" | Current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said his shoes had been "impossible to fill" but he "inspired all his successors, leaving the country more prosperous and enterprising" |
| Former Chancellor Norman Lamont told the BBC he had a "great sense of humour and fun", adding he was "not a pompous character at all" | Former Chancellor Norman Lamont told the BBC he had a "great sense of humour and fun", adding he was "not a pompous character at all" |
| The Telegraph first reported his death and his family are yet to comment. | |
| Before entering politics, Lawson was a successful financial journalist and continued publishing regular articles in the Telegraph and Spectator until as recently as November last year. | Before entering politics, Lawson was a successful financial journalist and continued publishing regular articles in the Telegraph and Spectator until as recently as November last year. |
| He would go on to be one of the "big beasts" of Thatcher's cabinets, as well as serving as MP for the Blaby constituency from 1974 to 1992. | He would go on to be one of the "big beasts" of Thatcher's cabinets, as well as serving as MP for the Blaby constituency from 1974 to 1992. |
| Thatcher, who died in 2013, put him in charge of the Treasury in 1983, where he cut income tax, boosted share ownership and paid off government debt. | Thatcher, who died in 2013, put him in charge of the Treasury in 1983, where he cut income tax, boosted share ownership and paid off government debt. |
| As chancellor he modernised London's financial markets, overseeing the UK financial sector's Big Bang, where deregulation of stock exchange membership and embracing electronic trading helped to establish London as a major global financial centre. | As chancellor he modernised London's financial markets, overseeing the UK financial sector's Big Bang, where deregulation of stock exchange membership and embracing electronic trading helped to establish London as a major global financial centre. |
| The resulting economic growth was eventually named the Lawson Boom, after the chancellor who had championed these changes. | The resulting economic growth was eventually named the Lawson Boom, after the chancellor who had championed these changes. |
| His stewardship of the economy was credited with helping Thatcher win a third term. | His stewardship of the economy was credited with helping Thatcher win a third term. |
| But lower taxes together with cheaper borrowing fuelled an unsustainable boom. Interest rates rose sharply and Britain went into recession. | But lower taxes together with cheaper borrowing fuelled an unsustainable boom. Interest rates rose sharply and Britain went into recession. |
| Nigel Lawson with his daughter Nigella in 2008 | |
| During his tenure Thatcher called Lawson "unassailable", but he resigned in 1989, after falling out with her over Europe. | During his tenure Thatcher called Lawson "unassailable", but he resigned in 1989, after falling out with her over Europe. |
| He stepped down as an MP at the 1992 election before entering the House of Lords as Lord Lawson of Blaby, only retiring last December. | He stepped down as an MP at the 1992 election before entering the House of Lords as Lord Lawson of Blaby, only retiring last December. |
| Lawson used his platform in the Lords to express scepticism of man-made climate change. | Lawson used his platform in the Lords to express scepticism of man-made climate change. |
| In 2016 he became the chairman of Vote Leave, the group which led the campaign for the UK's exit from the EU. He described Brexit as a "historic opportunity" to finish the job Thatcher had started. | In 2016 he became the chairman of Vote Leave, the group which led the campaign for the UK's exit from the EU. He described Brexit as a "historic opportunity" to finish the job Thatcher had started. |
| One of his most eye-catching recent political interventions was his backing of Mr Sunak over Ms Truss in last summer's Conservative leadership contest, when he said Ms Truss's tax-cutting plans were not in the Thatcherite tradition and would risk going back to the mistakes of the 1970s. | One of his most eye-catching recent political interventions was his backing of Mr Sunak over Ms Truss in last summer's Conservative leadership contest, when he said Ms Truss's tax-cutting plans were not in the Thatcherite tradition and would risk going back to the mistakes of the 1970s. |
| The financial market turmoil which followed the package of tax cuts announced in September's mini-budget will be cited by his admirers as evidence of the lasting quality of his economic judgement. | The financial market turmoil which followed the package of tax cuts announced in September's mini-budget will be cited by his admirers as evidence of the lasting quality of his economic judgement. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| HM Treasury | HM Treasury |
| Margaret Thatcher | Margaret Thatcher |