1984 United Kingdom budget
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| Presented | 13 March 1984 |
|---|---|
| Parliament | 49th |
| Party | Conservative Party |
| Chancellor | Nigel Lawson |
‹ 1983 1985 › | |
The 1984 United Kingdom budget was delivered by Nigel Lawson, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the House of Commons on 13 March 1984. It was the first budget to be presented by Lawson, who had been appointed as chancellor after the 1983 general election, and saw him embark on "a radical programme of tax reform". These included a reduction in Corporation Tax and a cut in the higher rate of Transfer Tax and raised the Stamp Duty threshold.
Background
Nigel Lawson was promoted to the role of Chancellor from the Department of Energy after the Conservatives won the 1983 general election. In that year's Autumn Statement he hinted at a giveaway worth around £1.5bn[a] in the next budget, although when the statement was delivered in March 1984 the actual amount turned out to be closer to £750m.[b][1]
Overview
In his first budget, Lawson told the House that he was embarking on "a radical programme of tax reform". These reforms included reducing Corporation Tax from 52% to 50% and abolishing the 1%
Reaction
In his budget response, Neil Kinnock, the newly-elected leader of the Labour Party, and leader of the Opposition, said the budget "does more for the City of London than it does for the country".[2]
The budget was well received by Conservative Party MPs, who viewed Lawson as a hero. Their only concern was over the abolition of life assurance premium tax relief.[1][2]
Legacy
Future budgets would go on to further reduce Corporation Tax, with it falling to 45% in 1985, 40% in 1986 and 35% in 1987.[2]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Budgets 1979 – 1992". BBC News. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Bygone budgets: March 1984". The Guardian. 3 March 1999. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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