Frederick Leith-Ross

Nationality

United Kingdom

Date of Birth

1887

Date of Death

1968

Political
Preference

Frederick Leith-Ross was a Scottish economist who served as chief adviser to the British government from 1932 to 1945. Born in Saint-Pierre, Mauritius, Leith-Ross joined the Treasury in the United Kingdom in 1909. During his time as chief advisor to the U.K. government, Leith-Ross helped to advance the economic theory known as the “Treasure View”, which posits that any increase in government spending only shifts around resources from one use to another, and thus has no impact on battling unemployment or increasing economic activity. This view was strongly opposed by Keynesian economic thought, which held that government spending could help decrease unemployment.

Leith-Ross became involved in planning international humanitarian relief efforts in the immediate post-war period. From 1941 onwards, he served as the chairman of the Inter-Allied Committee on Post-War Requirements, which estimated the amount of food, raw materials and other resources for the first six months after liberation. The committee laid the groundwork for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), that was founded in 1943. As such, Leith-Ross was well-connected to the exiled European governments, and was also asked to participated in the financial talks at the U.K. Treasury that took place in 1942 and 1943.