Ex-Tory chancellor ‘profits from recession’
By politics.co.uk staff
Norman Lamont wants the economic crisis to continue so he can carry on making money from public speaking, according to a report.
The former chancellor's comments were reported by the Telegraph newspaper's gossip column Mandrake at a reception at the Institute of Directors in central London.
"Since 2008, most of my public speaking has been about the economic crisis," he was quoted as saying.
"So I hope it carries on, because the longer it does, the longer I can stay in work."
Lamont was chancellor on Black Wednsday, when Britain crashed out of the exchange rate mechanism. David Cameron was his special adviser at the time.
Lamont, who occupied No 11 between 1990 and 1993, has said the trauma of the event made it "politically impossible" for Britain to join the euro – directly linking events during his time in No 11 with the current eurozone crisis.
Current chancellor George Osborne blamed poor trade with Europe on the eurozone crisis in the autumn statement delivered last week.
Lamont's occasional interventions in British politics have become more limited than those of some of his contemporaries in government.
Michael Heseltine is appearing before two select committees this week, while Nigel Lawson remains a regular commentator on television.
