Friday 11 May 2012

The Chancellors

The Chancellors  - By Roy Jenkins

A collections of brief essays on Chancellors of the Exchequer by Roy Jenkins who himself held the office. It stops just after WWII so historical rather than

Interestingly it suggests that Lloyd Georges people's budget of 1909 which introduced old age pensions wasn't as radical as is often thought.  It also highlights that WWII itself was proportionately more paid for by taxes than many previous wars. 

Chancellors are often very powerful and pivotal figures in Government, yet they rarely get the coverage given to the PM.  Perhaps most chancellors are like windsurfers, and not as in control of what happens as some people would like to think.  Even more so in the world today where 'gobalisation' and interdependency/connectedness is in many way predominant.

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