Photo: Dave M. Benett/Getty
ChefNigella Lawson’s father, Nigel, a former Conservative chancellor in England, has died. He was 91.
On Monday, theBBCandthe Guardiancovered the news of his death, but did not report the cause. The politician and journalist was known for holding many cabinet roles under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
On Tuesday, Nigella tweeted a message of gratitude to fans for their words of support.
“Thank you for all your kind messages,” she wrote. “And I’ll be back on here properly tomorrow.”
ThePrime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak,shared a statementon Twitter alongside a photo of the late politician framed in his office.
“One of the first things I did as Chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk,” he wrote. “He was a transformational Chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others.”
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Prime Minister Sunak closed out the statement with a note of condolences for his family and friends.
Nigel was still a member of the House of Lords towards the end of his life and retired in December, per the BBC. He was outspoken about being skeptical of climate change and campaigned for Brexit.
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Nigella Lawson (bottom right, with her parents and sister Thomasina in 1965) grew up in a “very old-fashioned” home.Knoote/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
Despite his notoriety as a Conservative politician, Nigel was proud of the fact that his daughter, Nigella, eventually became more well-known to the public than him. He shared the kind sentiment with the Daily Telegraph in 2009.
“The fact that when she was young she was known as Nigel Lawson’s daughter, and now I am known as Nigella Lawson’s father, pleases me immensely,” he said in the interview. “That’s how generations should pass.”
Fellow journalists and chefs shared their sympathies with Nigella, including food writer, Mallika Basu, who responded to her tweet, saying, “Huge love to you and the family Nigella. We’re not going anywhere.”
BBC journalist, Pádraig Belton, also responded to her tweet.
“Thinking of you, dearest girl. Your father was always kind and a consummate gentleman whenever I came across him as a journalist,” he wrote.
source: people.com
