The life of Thatcher's chancellor Nigel Lawson, from political clashes to the Big Boom and climate scepticism
She then promoted him to energy secretary, where he helped prepare for what he called"inevitable" full-scale strikes in the coal industry, which had been nationalised by Labour prime minister Clement Attlee.AdvertisementTax cuts, the Big Bang and the Lawson Boom
He also managed to turn around government finances from a budget deficit of £10.5bn in 1983 to a surplus of £3.9bn in 1988 and £4.1bn in 1989. He even had a period of economic growth named after him. The Lawson Boom saw the UK economy on the up after 1986, with unemployment halved. The then-depute leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, was suspended from the Commons for his constant interruptions and MPs voted against amending the law bill.Mrs Thatcher and her chancellor also clashed over the exchange-rate mechanism membership in 1985, with Mr Lawson - ironically, as he became a Brexiteer - believing membership was the only way forward to help convince the markets the UK was committed to fiscal discipline.
He threatened to resign if Mrs Thatcher did not sack Mr Walters over his support of the ERM. Mrs Thatcher wrote in a private memo that was"absurd" and urged him to rethink - and Mr Lawson quit. It dramatically changed his appearance and he published The Nigel Lawson Diet Book, which became a best seller.
Mr Lawson was married twice. His first wife was former ballet dancer Vanessa Salmon with whom he had Dominic , Thomasina , Nigella and Horatia. After they divorced, Ms Salmon died of liver cancer aged 48. At the time, he was living in France and in 2018 started to apply for his official French residency card.
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