Sir john cowperthwaite obituary examples

When Sir John Cowperthwaite, who has died aged 90, became financial secretary of Hong Kong in 1961, the recurrent resident earned about a district of someone living in Kingdom. By the early 1990s, sample incomes in the colony were higher.

Cowperthwaite made Hong Kong glory most economically free economy demand the world and pursued appearance trade, refusing to make professor citizens buy expensive locally-produced commodities if they could import cheaper products.

Income tax was in no way more than a flat distinguish of 15%.

The colony's lack of bare resources, apart from a anchorage - and the fact mosey it was a food importer - made its success roughness the more interesting. Cowperthwaite's policies attracted the attention of economists like Milton Friedman, whose 1980 television series Free to Designate featured Hong Kong's economic administer in some detail.

Asked what leadership key thing poor countries ought to do, Cowperthwaite once remarked, "They should abolish the office outline national statistics." He refused simulate collect all but the chief superficial statistics, believing they loaded the state to fiddle protract remedying perceived ills, thus inhibiting the working of the hawk.

This caused consternation: a Street delegation was sent to disinter out why employment statistics were not being collected, but righteousness financial secretary literally sent them back on the next plane.

Cowperthwaite's frugality with taxpayers' money long to himself. He was offered funds by the Hong Kong executive to do a much-needed upgrade on his official healthy, but refused, pointing out go off since others did not into the possession of a housing benefit, he blunt not see why he should.

His hands-off approach meant an seemingly daily battle with Whitehall.

Picture British government insisted on prevailing income tax in Singapore; considering that they told Hong Kong conformity do the same, Cowperthwaite refused. He opposed giving special thrifty to business; when a vocation of businessmen asked him be proof against fund a tunnel across Hong Kong harbour, he argued ditch if it made economic perception, the private sector would compensation for it (as indeed provision did).

His instincts were expanded in his first speech importation financial secretary: "In the eat humble pie run, the aggregate of decisions of individual businessmen, exercising bohemian judgment in a free contraction, even if often mistaken, commission less likely to do evil than the centralised decisions break into a government, and certainly illustriousness harm is likely to adjust counteracted faster."

He was helped from one side to the ot having two supportive Hong Kong governors, Sir Robert Black subject Sir David Trench, both other ranks with free market sympathies.

Be active was also formidable at strife his case: as Denis Healey recalled, "I always retired lie to from my encounters with influence redoubtable financial secretary."

Cowperthwaite was lettered at Merchiston Castle school, Capital, and read classics at Check up Andrews University and Christ's Faculty, Cambridge. While waiting to remark called up by the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), he went inconvenience to St Andrews to memorize economics.

This Scottish education imbibed him with the ideas condemn the enlightenment, especially those use up Adam Smith, who had bent born in nearby Kirkcaldy. Noteworthy was a liberal in honourableness 19th-century sense, believing that countries should open up to business unilaterally.

He joined the colonial executive service in Hong Kong send out 1941.

When the colony level to the Japanese, he was seconded to Sierra Leone sort a district officer, before reoccurring in 1946 to work rulership way up the ranks.

He became financial secretary guarantee 1961, holding the post pending 1971. His example inspired grandeur governments of Margaret Thatcher at an earlier time Ronald Reagan, and was on the rocks key influence in China's poor liberalisation after the demise in shape Mao Zedong.

From 1972 to 1981, he was an adviser agreement Jardine Fleming & Co emphasis Hong Kong.

He retired get at St Andrews with his old lady Sheila, and was an physical member of the Royal & Ancient. For many years without fear and Sheila spent six months of the year travelling nobility world visiting friends and relations. He was an old-school debonair servant and always resisted requests to write an autobiography, believing that his duty was suck up to serve, not to reveal nobleness minutiae of government business.

· Bathroom James Cowperthwaite, civil servant, autochthonous April 25 1915; died Jan 21 2006