Professor Iain McLean to speak at seminar at HM Treasury

Professor Iain McLean will be speaking at a seminar at HM Treasury to mark the centenary of the `People`s Budget`, 1909.

The seminar, to be held on 2 October, marks the centenary of the 1909 Budget, heralded by Chancellor Lloyd George and other Ministers as `the People`s Budget`. It was highly controversial and was intensively discussed in Cabinet for months, being voted down by the Lords in November 1909. This led directly to the Parliament Act 1911 and to the wider constitutional crisis of 1912-14.

The issues raised by the 1909 Budget are still extremely topical. They include:

how to tax land and property

the progressivity of income tax

the incidence of excise duties

how to pay for social protection and defence

The event will be chaired by Kenneth O Morgan, providing an overview of the historical/political context of 1909 and its impact and legacy. There will then be two round-table sessions. At the first, a panel of academics will discuss the contextual and historical issues. At the second, a panel of experts inside and outside government will discuss the contemporary policy issues.

Iain McLean will be speaking on Lloyd George and his special advisors and the Unionist reaction to the Budget, as part of the first panel. His talk will be recorded and uploaded to iTunes U as a podcast.

Please note that attendance at the event is by invitation only.

Iain McLean is Professor of Politics, Official Fellow, Nuffield College.