Nigel Lawson dies: Tributes paid to ‘giant’ of politics after former chancellor dies aged 91
Politicians have paid tribute to former Conservative chancellor Nigel Lawson after his death aged 91.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the party grandee “was a transformational chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others” as he paid tribute on Twitter.
Lord Lawson was a Conservative MP representing the constituency of Blaby from 1974 to 1992, and served in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet from 1981 to 1989.
Best known for his role as chancellor, he retired from the House of Lords in December, ending a parliamentary career stretching back nearly five decades.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Lord Lawson “a giant” and said he was “a fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism”.
“He was a tax-cutter and simplifier who helped transform the economic landscape and helped millions of British people achieve their dreams,” he added.
Read more: The life of Nigel Lawson, Thatcher’s right-hand man
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said Lord Lawson was a “rarity amongst politicians, someone who transformed our thinking as well as transforming our economy”.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called him “a true statesman”, adding: “His contributions to this nation will not be forgotten.”
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said Lord Lawson was “a giant who changed the political weather, a lodestar for Conservatives, and a kind man always generous with his wisdom”.
Tory Party chairman Greg Hands said he will be remembered “for his clarity of thinking, commitment to free market economics and willingness to challenge orthodoxies”.
Former prime minister David Cameron tweeted: “One of the remarkable things about Nigel was that even 5, 10, 20 years after he left the Treasury, officials and Ministers were still asking ‘what would Lawson have done?’. He’ll be greatly missed.”
Lord Frost, former Brexit negotiator, described him as a “true economic radical”, “a support of Brexit” and “the author of simply one of the best political memoirs ever”.
The journalist who entered politics
Lawson was a financial journalist and editor of right-wing magazine The Spectator before entering politics at the age of 42.
He served a number of positions in Mrs Thatcher’s government before she appointed him as chancellor – a position that ensured he would go down in the history books.
Nigel Lawson pictured ahead of the 1984 spring budget
Lord Lawson, the second longest-serving chancellor after Gordon Brown, was key to Mrs Thatcher’s economic policies and success.
He pushed ahead with tax reforms, reducing corporation taxes and lowering National Insurance contributions for the lower-paid, while extending the VAT base.
Nigel Lawson leaves behind a significant political legacy
British politics has lost a towering figure.
Nigel Lawson was best known as Margaret Thatcher’s chancellor from 1983-89.
He was an architect of the transformative economic policy that defined the political landscape during that period – from the decline of heavy industry to the booming city of London.
His resignation delivered a damaging blow to the prime minister – a year later she was forced out of office.
Latterly in his career he became a central figure in the Brexit movement, serving as chair of Vote Leave. He was also an outspoken climate change sceptic.
His death has prompted a wave of heartfelt tributes.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “One of the first things I did as chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk. He was a transformational chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others.”
Former prime minister Boris Johnson called him “a giant” and the current chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, described him as “a rarity amongst politicians”.
He began his parliamentary career in 1974, standing down in 1992 to enter the House of Lords.
From there he served until his resignation in December last year.
He leaves behind six children including his high-profile daughter, food writer and TV chef Nigella Lawson.
He also leaves behind a significant political legacy, a country fundamentally changed by his time in office. He was a man who made a lasting impact.
The Lawson Boom
One of his major triumphs was the Big Bang of 1986, which saw the City’s financial markets deregulated and strengthened London as a financial capital – though in 2010 he admitted the “unintended consequence” of that was the 2007 financial crisis.
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.
Nigel and Nigella Lawson pictured in 2008
However, Lord Lawson didn’t always see eye to eye with Mrs Thatcher. His resignation in 1989 came after rows over Europe and economic policy, and marked the early stages of her downfall a year later.
Mr Lawson remained as a backbencher until 1992, when he was elevated to the House of Lords with a life peerage, and was known as Lord Lawson of Blaby.
After stepping down as an MP, he lost five stone and published The Nigel Lawson Diet Book, which became a best seller.
He remained active in politics in his later years. He chaired the Vote Leave campaign ahead of the 2016 EU referendum but faced allegations of hypocrisy after applying for a French residency card.
He also faced criticism for being a denier of the climate crisis.
Lord Lawson is survived by six children including celebrity chef Nigella Lawson and journalist Dominic Lawson.
The murder trial of a former senior politician in Kazakhstan who has been accused of beating his wife to death has attracted the attention of the nation, sparking calls for new legislation tackling domestic violence.
Shocking footage showing businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s former economy minister, beating his wife at a family restaurant has been streamed online from the court.
The case has touched a nerve among the public as tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for new laws to hold those guilty of abuse to account.
Disturbing CCTV footage shows the former senior politician hitting his wife
Why is the case so high profile?
The trial of Bishimbayev, 44, is the first in the country to ever be streamed online – making it readily accessible to the 19 million people in Kazakhstan.
The former politician was already well known, having been jailed for bribery in 2018. He spent less than two years of his 10-year sentence in prison before he was pardoned.
Bishimbayev admitted last month in court that he had beaten his wife. Pic: Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office/Telegram/AP
Bishimbayev was charged with torturing and killing his wife after her death last November. For weeks, he maintained his innocence but admitted last month in court that he had beaten her and “unintentionally” caused her death.
Saltanat Nukenova, 31, was found dead in November in a restaurant owned by one of her husband’s relatives.
Disturbing CCTV footage shows the defendant, a father of four, dragging his wife by her hair, and then punching and kicking her.
Hours after it was recorded, she died of brain trauma.
Bishimbayev was jailed for bribery in 2018. Pic: Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office/Telegram/AP
Bishimbayev’s lawyers initially disputed medical evidence indicating Ms Nukenova died from repeated blows to the head.
They also portrayed her as prone to jealousy and violence, although no video from the restaurant’s security cameras that was played in court has shown her attacking Bishimbayev.
According to a 2018 study backed by UN Women, about 400 women die as a result of domestic violence in Kazakhstan every year, although many go unreported.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
What reaction has the trial caused?
Tens of thousands of people in the country have signed a petition calling for harsher measures against perpetrators of domestic violence in the wake of Ms Nukenova’s tragic death.
The signatures resulted in senators approving a bill which toughens spousal abuse laws last month – dubbed “Saltanat’s Law”.
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Police in riot gear at two US universities as protesters clash
Aitbek Amangeldy, Ms Nukenova’s brother and a key prosecution witness, told the Associated Press he had no doubt his sister’s tragic fate has shifted attitudes about domestic violence.
“It changes people’s minds when they see directly what it looks like when a person is tortured.”
Police in riot gear have raided Columbia University and arrested pro-Palestinian protesters occupying one of its buildings.
Around 30 to 40 people have been removed from the Manhattan university’s Hamilton Hall, according to police.
The raid came hours after New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the demonstration at the Ivy League school “must end now”.
He also claimed the demonstration had been infiltrated by “professional outside agitators”.
University bosses said they called in the New York Police Department (NYPD) after protesters “chose to escalate the situation through their actions”.
“After the university learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalised, and blockaded, we were left with no choice,” a university spokesman said in a statement.
“The decision to reach out to the NYPD was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing.
“We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law.”
Police enter Hamilton Hall. Pic: Reuters
Police gather around Columbia University before moving in to break-up the protest. Pic: Reuters
Police stand guard near an encampment of protesters on the grounds of Columbia University. Pic: Reuters
Arrested protesters from Columbia University are loaded onto a bus. Pic: Reuters
The protest began when students barricaded the entrance of Hamilton Hall at Columbia’s campus on Tuesday and unfurled a Palestinian flag out of a window.
Video footage showed protesters locking arms in front of the hall and carrying furniture and metal barricades to the building.
Those behind the protest said they had renamed the building “Hind’s Hall” in honour of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old girl killed in a strike on Gaza in February.
Protesters unfurled a flag with the words ‘Hind’s Hall’. Pic: Reuters
Protesters hang banners on the exterior of Hamilton Hall building. Pic: Reuters
Demonstrators said they had planned to remain at the hall until the university conceded to the Columbia University Apartheid Divest’s (CUAD) three demands: divestment, financial transparency and amnesty.
“Columbia will be proud of these students in five years,” said Sweda Polat, one of the student negotiators for CUAD.
She said students did not pose a danger and called on police to back down.
Officers raided the campus on Tuesday night after university bosses wrote to New York City officials and the NYPD formally asking for assistance.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
A large group of officers dressed in riot gear entered the campus late on Tuesday evening. Officers were also seen entering the window of a university building via a police-branded ladder vehicle, nicknamed “the bear”.
Earlier, Mayor Adams urged demonstrators to leave the site. “Walk away from this situation now and continue your advocacy through other means,” he said.
Columbia University also threatened academic expulsions for students involved in the demonstration.
Protesters block the entrance of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University. Pic: AP
Demonstrators block the entrance of Hamilton Hall. Pic: AP
Protests at Columbia earlier this month kicked off demonstrations which have spread to university campuses from California to Massachusetts.
Dozens of people were arrested on Monday during protests at universities in Texas, Utah, Virginia, and New Jersey.
Police moved to clear an encampment at Yale University in Connecticut on Tuesday morning, but there were no immediate reports of arrests.
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Meanwhile, the president of the University of South California issued a statement on Tuesday after a swastika was drawn on the campus.
“I condemn any antisemitic symbols or any form of hate speech against anyone,” Carol Folt said.
“Clearly it was drawn there just to incite even more anger at a time that is so painful for our community. We’re going to work to get to the bottom of this immediately, and it has just been removed.”
Earlier, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said President Joe Biden believed students occupying buildings was “absolutely the wrong approach” and “not an example of peaceful protest”.
World
Georgia: Police use water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters opposing ‘foreign agent’ bill
Police in Georgia’s capital have used water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades against crowds outside the country’s parliament protesting against a bill the opposition says aims to crack down on press freedoms.
The legislation being debated by parliamentarians will require media and non-commercial organisations to register as being under foreign influence if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
Police used water cannon to disperse protesters. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the streets of Tbilisi on Tuesday to oppose the legislation.
Clashes erupted between security forces and protesters as they faced tear gas, water cannon and stun grenades.
Thousands gathered to oppose the legislation. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Reuters eyewitnesses saw some police officers physically attack protesters, who threw eggs and bottles at them, before deploying the tactics to force crowds from outside the parliament building, the news agency reported.
After being dispersed, thousands continued to block Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue, barricading it with cafe tables and rubbish bins. Some shouted “slaves” and “Russians” at police.
Clashes erupted between police and demonstrators. Pic: AP
Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of Georgia‘s largest opposition party, the United National Movement, posted an image on X with his face bloodied and sporting a black eye.
A party official told Reuters that Mr Khabeishvili was beaten by police after disappearing from central Tbilisi.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who is opposed to the bill and whose powers are mostly ceremonial, said in a post on X the crackdown had been “totally unwarranted, unprovoked and out of proportion” and that the protests had been peaceful.
Demonstrators sit in protest. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
The bill has heightened political divisions, setting the ruling Georgian Dream party against a protest movement backed by opposition groups, communities, celebrities and the figurehead president.
It is viewed by the opposition as authoritarian and bearing a resemblance to Russian anti-independent media legislation.
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Politicians brawl in parliament
Critics have labelled the divisive bill “the Russian law”, comparing it to Moscow’s “foreign agent” legislation which has been used to crack down on dissent there.
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Parliament endorsed the bill in the first reading earlier this month. It must pass two more readings before becoming law.
A protester holds up an EU flag. Pic: AP
Those opposed to the legislation see it as an impediment to Georgia’s long-sought prospects of joining the European Union.
EU officials have said it could halt Georgia’s progress towards integration with the bloc.
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