Joseph of Portsoken, Keith Sinjohn Joseph

▪ 1995

      BARON, British politician (b. Jan. 17, 1918, London, England—d. Dec. 10, 1994, London), converted (during the 1980s) the British Conservative Party under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from Keynesian demand management to Friedmanite free-market monetarism. Hailed as one of the sharpest intellects in the government and a fervent disciple of the free market, Joseph managed to free industry from governmental controls. Some of his views, particularly concerning social services, were very controversial. Joseph believed in building self-reliance within an economy based mainly on highly competitive free enterprise. On the other hand, Joseph was also labeled the "mad monk" because of his conscientious attempts to end the vicious cycle of poverty, dependence on the welfare state, and deprivation of the inner cities. Although Joseph achieved many of his dreams, he openly regretted some of his decisions. He designed a new form of taxation that provided grants for those with substandard incomes. Joseph was a brilliant student, becoming (1947) a fellow of All Souls, University of Oxford. He served as a Conservative member of Parliament (1956-87), secretary of state for health and social services (1970-74), secretary of state for industry (1979-81), and secretary of state for education (1981-86). Thatcher relied heavily on Joseph, one of the so-called "architects of Thatcherism," and she called him her oldest political ally and mentor. An honest, forceful, and utterly committed man of ideas, Joseph was at the same time shy and diffident and was therefore never seriously expected to take over as prime minister. In 1987 he was made life peer. In 1993 he survived a severe stroke, which left him wheelchair-bound. Joseph died of chest complications from that stroke.

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