Rishi Sunak pays tribute to ‘tax-cutting’ hero Nigel Lawson as MPs and daughter Nigella mourns late ex-Chancellor
RISHI Sunak paid a touching tribute to "serious radical" Nigel Lawson today - but raised eyebrows for trumpeting his tax cuts.
The PM joined an array of politicians past and present at a ceremony in honour of the late ex-Chancellor, who died aged 91 in April.
TV chef Nigella Lawson was also among the congregation at St Margaret’s Church in London to remember her late father.
In a reading at the service, Mr Sunak hailed his political hero for slashing taxes as Margaret Thatcher's reforming Chancellor.
But one attendee - noting the current crippling tax burden - said: “There was plenty of harrumphing from the many Thatcherites in the crowd”.
It came on the same day economists laid bare how ministers were hiking taxes on workers to record levels.
Mr Sunak said in his tribute: "Nigel was a serious radical. He understood that the greater the mission, the more thorough the preparation must be.
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"This is why his and Margaret Thatcher’s reforms have stood the test of time.
"No one is seriously trying to reintroduce exchange controls, renationalise Pickford’s removals or return us to the penally high tax rates of the post-war era."
Ex-Tory leaders Sir John Major, Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Lord Michael Howard attended the service.
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And former Chancellors George Osborne, Sajid Javid and Lord Norman Lamont were also among the gathered.
Current Cabinet Ministers included Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Kemi Badenoch.
As Chancellor from 1983 to 1989, Lord Lawson was lauded for drastically reducing taxes, especially in the radical 1988 “giveaway” Budget.
He memorably resigned in a row with Mrs Thatcher over being undermined by her then economic advisor Sir Alan Walters.
Born in Hampstead, North London, on March 11, 1932, Lawson completed National Service in the Royal Navy before becoming a journalist at the Financial Times in 1956.
He stood unsuccessfully at the 1970 general election for the Eton and Slough seat, before becoming MP for Blaby.
He served as MP for Blaby between 1974 and 1992 and was a vehement Brexit backer.
Rishi Sunak's tribute to Nigel Lawson in full
RISHI SUNAK'S TRIBUTE TO LORD LAWSON
Of post-war Britain, few people have had more of an impact, or done more good, than Nigel Lawson.
He was a crucial part of the team that transformed our economy, our prospects and the way we saw ourselves.
One of Nigel’s great strengths was that he did not think that things had to be as they were.
He was not constrained by convention.
He was distrustful of consensus seeing it as a product of lazy thinking.
Nigel was a serious radical.
He understood that the greater the mission, the more thorough the preparation must be.
This is why his and Margaret Thatcher’s reforms have stood the test of time.
No one is seriously trying to reintroduce exchange controls, renationalise Pickford’s removals…
…or return us to the penally high tax rates of the post-war era.
Starting out in my career, I was acutely conscious that the City I was working in was a product of the changes that Nigel had brought about.
Without Big Bang and the political courage he displayed in sweeping away centuries old restrictive practises…
…London would not have become the global financial services centre that it is today.
When I was Chancellor, I asked Dominic if Nigel would be able to come to Number 11.
I was keen to pick his brains, to understand how he had achieved what he had achieved.
Dominic replied that his father wasn’t well enough to travel to London but he would be delighted to see me in Sussex.
So, I took the train down to meet him.
Sitting talking to him was an unforgettable experience; he was a kind and generous host.
He might have been physically frail, but he was mentally as sharp as ever.
He was instructive about how he had done the job and the principles that had guided him.
At that moment, many had forgotten about inflation and the dangers it posed.
But not Nigel.
He was clear about the paramount importance of controlling inflation and gripping spending.
I was personally grateful to have his support last summer.
For many great politicians, the world stops when they leave office.
But Nigel kept thinking, kept challenging consensuses.
At the age of 84, most people are putting their feet up, but not Nigel: he was chairing a referendum campaign.
He continued to play a part in our public life right up until his retirement from the House of Lords in 2022.
His was the fullest of political lives.
We should all aspire to Nigel’s seriousness of purpose.
I hung a picture of Nigel behind my desk when I moved into Number 11.
The view was to remind me to try to emulate his clarity of thought and his record of achievement.
I know that he will continue to be an inspiration to all of us who want to change our country for the better.
