Editing Roy Jenkins (section)

{{Short description|British politician (1920–2003)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix  = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name              = The Lord Jenkins of Hillhead
| honorific-suffix  = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OM|PC|size=100%}}
| image             = Roy Jenkins 1977 (cropped).jpg
| alt               = Jenkins, 56, in a monochrome portrait
| caption           = Jenkins in 1977
| office            = [[Chancellor of the University of Oxford]]
| 1blankname        = [[Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford|Vice{{nbh}}Chancellor]]
| 1namedata         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen|The Lord Neill of Bladen]]
* [[Richard Southwood|Sir Richard Southwood]]
* [[Peter North (legal scholar)|Sir Peter North]]
* [[Colin Lucas|Sir Colin Lucas]]}}
| term_start        = 14 March 1987
| term_end          = 5 January 2003
| predecessor       = [[Harold Macmillan|The Earl of Stockton]]
| successor         = [[Chris Patten|The Lord Patten of Barnes]]
| order1            = <!-- not used.  EU does not use US-style numbered presidencies. -->
| office1           = [[President of the European Commission]]
| term_start1       = 6 January 1977
| term_end1         = 19 January 1981
| predecessor1      = [[François-Xavier Ortoli]]
| successor1        = [[Gaston Thorn]]
| office2           = [[Home Secretary]]
| primeminister2    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Harold Wilson]]
* [[James Callaghan]]}}
| term_start2       = 4 March 1974
| term_end2         = 10 September 1976
| predecessor2      = [[Robert Carr]]
| successor2        = [[Merlyn Rees]]
| primeminister3    = [[Harold Wilson]]
| term_start3       = 23 December 1965
| term_end3         = 30 November 1967
| predecessor3      = [[Frank Soskice]]
| successor3        = James Callaghan
| office4           = [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]
| primeminister4    = [[Harold Wilson]]
| 1blankname4       = [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury|Chief Secretary]]
| 1namedata4        = [[Jack Diamond, Baron Diamond|Jack Diamond]]
| term_start4       = 30 November 1967
| term_end4         = 19 June 1970
| predecessor4      = James Callaghan
| successor4        = [[Iain Macleod]]
{{collapsed infobox section begin |cont=y |Junior ministerial offices
 |titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office5           = [[Minister of Aviation]]
| primeminister5    = [[Harold Wilson]]
| term_start5       = 18 October 1964
| term_end5         = 23 December 1965
| predecessor5      = [[Julian Amery]]
| successor5        = [[Fred Mulley]]{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
{{collapsed infobox section begin |cont=y |Party political offices
 |titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office6           = [[Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords]]
| leader6           = [[Paddy Ashdown]]
| term_start6       = 16 July 1988
| term_end6         = 19 December 1997
| predecessor6      = [[Nancy Seear, Baroness Seear|The Baroness Seear]]
| successor6        = [[Bill Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank|The Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank]]
| office7           = [[Leader of the Social Democratic Party (UK)|Leader of the Social Democratic Party]]
| president7        = [[Shirley Williams]]
| deputy7           = [[David Owen]]
| term_start7       = 7 July 1982
| term_end7         = 13 June 1983
| predecessor7      = ''[[Social Democratic Party (UK)#Creation of the SDP|Party established]]''
| successor7        = David Owen
| office8           = [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]]
| leader8           = [[Harold Wilson]]
| term_start8       = 8 July 1970
| term_end8         = 10 April 1972
| predecessor8      = [[George Brown, Baron George-Brown|George Brown]]
| successor8        = [[Edward Short, Baron Glenamara|Edward Short]]
{{collapsed infobox section end}}}}
{{collapsed infobox section begin |cont=y |[[Second Shadow Cabinet of Harold Wilson|Shadow Cabinet]] offices
 |titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office9           = [[Shadow Home Secretary]]
| term_start9       = 25 November 1973
| term_end9         = 4 March 1974
| leader9           = [[Harold Wilson]]
| predecessor9      = Shirley Williams
| successor9        = [[Jim Prior]]
| office10          = [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]]
| term_start10      = 20 June 1970
| term_end10        = 19 April 1972
| leader10          = [[Harold Wilson]]
| predecessor10     = Iain Macleod
| successor10       = [[Denis Healey]]
{{collapsed infobox section end}}}}
{{collapsed infobox section begin |cont=y |last=y |Parliamentary offices
 |titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office11          = [[Member of the House of Lords]]
| status11          = [[Lord Temporal]]
| term_label11      = [[Life peer]]age
| term_start11      = 1 December 1987
| term_end11        = 5 January 2003
| parliament12      = United Kingdom
| constituency_MP12 = [[Glasgow Hillhead]]
| term_start12      = 25 March 1982
| term_end12        = 18 May 1987
| predecessor12     = [[Tam Galbraith]]
| successor12       = [[George Galloway]]
| constituency_MP13 = [[Birmingham Stechford (UK Parliament constituency)|Birmingham Stechford]]
| term_start13      = 23 February 1950
| term_end13        = 5 January 1977<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-roy-jenkins/index.html|title=Mr Roy Jenkins (Hansard)}}</ref>
| predecessor13     = ''[[Boundary commissions (United Kingdom)|Constituency established]]''
| successor13       = [[Andrew MacKay (British politician)|Andrew MacKay]]
| constituency_MP14 = [[Southwark Central]]
| term_start14      = 29 April 1948
| term_end14        = 3 February 1950
| predecessor14     = [[John Hanbury Martin|John Martin]]
| successor14       = ''Constituency abolished''{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
| birth_name        = Roy Harris Jenkins
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1920|11|11|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[Abersychan]], [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]], Wales
| death_date        = {{death date and age|2003|1|5|1920|11|11|df=y}}
| death_place       = [[East Hendred]], Oxfordshire, England
| party             = {{Plainlist|class=nowraplinks|
* [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (until 1981)
* [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|SDP]] (1981–1988)
* [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] (from 1988)}}
| spouse            = {{marriage|Mary Jennifer Morris|1945}}
| children          = 3
| parents           = [[Arthur Jenkins (British politician)|Arthur Jenkins]] (father)
| alma_mater        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Cardiff University]]
* [[Balliol College, Oxford]]}}
<!--Military service-->
| allegiance        = United Kingdom
| branch            = [[British Army]]
| rank              = [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]]
| unit              = [[Royal Artillery]]
| battles           = World War II
}}

'''Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead''' (11 November 1920&nbsp;– 5 January 2003) was a British politician and writer who served as the sixth [[President of the European Commission]] from 1977 to 1981. At various times a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] and the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]] (SDP), and a [[Life peer|peer]] for the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], he was [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] and [[Home Secretary]] under the [[First Wilson ministry|Wilson]] and [[Callaghan government|Callaghan Governments]].

The son of [[Arthur Jenkins (British politician)|Arthur Jenkins]], a coal-miner and Labour MP, Jenkins was educated at the [[University of Oxford]] and served as an [[intelligence officer]] during the [[Second World War]]. Initially elected as MP for [[Southwark Central]] in 1948, he moved to become MP for [[Birmingham Stechford (UK Parliament constituency)|Birmingham Stechford]] in 1950. On the election of [[Harold Wilson]] after the [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964 election]], Jenkins was appointed [[Minister of Aviation]]. A year later, he was promoted to the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] to become [[Home Secretary]]. In this role, Jenkins embarked on a major reform programme; he sought to build what he described as "a civilised society", overseeing measures such as the effective abolition in Britain of both [[Capital punishment in the United Kingdom|capital punishment]] and [[theatre censorship]], the partial [[decriminalisation of homosexuality]], relaxing of [[divorce law]], suspension of [[birching]] and the liberalisation of [[Abortion Act 1967|abortion law]].

Following the [[Devaluation|devaluation crisis]] in November 1967, Jenkins replaced [[James Callaghan]] as [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]. Throughout his time at the Treasury, Jenkins oversaw a tight fiscal policy in an attempt to control inflation, and oversaw a particularly tough [[Budget of the United Kingdom|Budget]] in 1968 which saw major tax rises. As a result of this, the Government's current account entered a [[Balanced budget|surplus]] in 1969. After Labour unexpectedly lost the [[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970 election]], Jenkins was elected as [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]] in 1970. He resigned from the position in 1972 after the Labour Party decided to oppose [[Accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities|Britain's entry to the European Communities]], which he strongly supported.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19700709&id=1JFAAAAAIBAJ&pg=2956,1521602|title=Jenkins Labour deputy leader|work=[[The Glasgow Herald]]|date=9 July 1970|access-date=24 August 2012}}</ref> When Labour returned to power following the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|1974 election]], Wilson appointed Jenkins as Home Secretary for the second time. Two years later, when Wilson resigned as prime minister, Jenkins stood in the [[1976 Labour Party leadership election|leadership election]] to succeed him, finishing third behind [[Michael Foot]] and the winner [[James Callaghan]]. He subsequently chose to resign from Parliament and leave British politics, to accept appointment as the first-ever (and so far, only) British [[President of the European Commission]], a role he took up in January 1977.

After completing his term at the Commission in 1981, Jenkins announced a surprise return to British politics; dismayed with the Labour Party's move further left under the leadership of Michael Foot, he became one of the "[[Gang of Four (SDP)|Gang of Four]]", senior Labour figures who broke away from the party and founded the SDP.<ref name="Cawood2013">{{cite book|first=Ian J.|last= Cawood|title=Britain in the Twentieth Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NdeAAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA437|date=21 August 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-40681-2|page=437}}</ref> In 1982, Jenkins won [[1982 Glasgow Hillhead by-election|a by-election]] to return to Parliament as MP for Glasgow Hillhead, taking the seat from the Conservatives in a famous result. He became leader of the SDP ahead of the [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 election]], during which he formed [[SDP–Liberal Alliance|an electoral alliance]] with the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]]. Following his disappointment with the performance of the SDP in the election, he resigned as leader. He subsequently lost his seat in Parliament at the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 election]] to Labour's [[George Galloway]], and accepted a [[life peer]]age shortly afterwards; he sat in the [[House of Lords]] as a [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]].

Jenkins was later elected to succeed former prime minister [[Harold Macmillan]] as [[Chancellor of the University of Oxford]] following the latter's death; he would hold this position until his own death sixteen years later. In the late 1990s, he served as a close adviser to Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] and chaired a [[Jenkins Commission (UK)|major commission on electoral reform]]. In addition to his political career, he was also a noted historian, biographer, and writer. [[David Marquand]] described Jenkins's autobiography, {{citeref|Jenkins|1991|''A Life at the Centre''|style=plain}} (1991), as one which "will be read with pleasure long after most examples of the genre have been forgotten".<ref name="G 8-1-03 RJ obit">{{cite news|last1=Marquand|first1=David|title=Lord Jenkins of Hillhead|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jan/06/guardianobituaries.obituaries|access-date=26 September 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=8 January 2003}}</ref>