British lawmakers have paid tribute to Barney Frank, the former US Congressman who has died at the age of 86. Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts, was a key figure in the gay rights movement and an unlikely hero to fiscal conservatives. His career spanned 16 terms in the House of Representatives, where he was a shrewd operator on financial services regulation.
Frank was openly gay long before it was politically safe, a fact that endeared him to the UK's libertarian streak. But it was his hawkish stance on government spending that earned him grudging respect from the Right. He famously said, 'I'm in favour of gay marriage because I believe in the sanctity of marriage, and I'm in favour of lower taxes because I believe in the sanctity of the individual.
' That blend of social liberalism and fiscal discipline is rare in politics. British MPs from across the spectrum have noted his contribution to UK values: tolerance, free markets, and a healthy suspicion of state overreach. As inflation gnaws at gilt yields and capital flight threatens the pound, Frank's voice of reason is sorely missed.
The market for principled politicians is increasingly illiquid.
