Jenkins, Roy Harris

Jenkins, Roy Harris
▪ 2004
Baron Jenkins of Hillhead 
      British politician and author (b. Nov. 11, 1920, Abersychan, Monmouthshire, Eng.—d. Jan. 5, 2003, East Hendred, Oxfordshire, Eng.), in a career that spanned half a century, was a leading figure in the Labour Party before breaking away in 1981 to help form the centrist Social Democratic Party (SDP). Jenkins was instrumental in liberalizing British society and in stabilizing the budget, promoting European monetary union, and championing British membership in the European Economic Community (EEC). Jenkins graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, in 1941. He was elected to Parliament in 1948, and in 1964 Prime Minister Harold Wilson appointed him minister of aviation. As home secretary (1965–67) Jenkins achieved the liberalization of laws banning homosexuality and abortion as well as those governing divorce and theatre censorship. In 1967, following the devaluation of the currency, he was made chancellor of the Exchequer, and, through a combination of budget cuts and tax increases, he achieved a surplus in the balance of payments by the end of 1969. In 1970 the Labour Party lost the general election, and Jenkins became deputy leader of the party. The following year Jenkins crossed party lines to vote with the Tories in favour of Britain's entering the EEC. When in 1972 the Labour Party supported a referendum calling for withdrawal from the EEC, Jenkins resigned his position. He was home secretary again when Wilson was returned to office (1974–76) and then became president of the European Commission, a position he held until 1981. That same year Jenkins joined with David Owen, Shirley Williams, and Bill Rodgers to launch the SDP. In 1982 he was elected to Parliament on the Social Democratic ticket, and thereafter he became party leader. In the 1983 elections the SDP won only six seats, and Jenkins stepped down as party leader. In the aftermath of the 1987 elections, in which he lost his seat, he was created a life peer, and in 1988 be became leader of the newly-combined Social and Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Lords, a position he held until 1997. His many well-received books included Gladstone (1995), which won the Whitbread award for biography, and Churchill: A Biography (2001). Jenkins was president of the Royal Society of Literature (1988–2003) and chancellor of the University of Oxford (1987–2003), and he was awarded the Order of Merit in 1993.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Jenkins, Roy, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead — ▪ British politician in full  Roy Harris Jenkins   born November 11, 1920, Abersychan, Monmouthshire, England died January 5, 2003, East Hendred, Oxfordshire  British politician, a strong supporter of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and… …   Universalium

  • Roy Jenkins — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Jenkins. Roy Harris Jenkins Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jenkins (of Hillhead), Roy (Harris) Jenkins, Baron — born Nov. 11, 1920, Abersychan, Monmouthshire, Eng. died Jan. 5, 2003, Oxfordshire British politician. Elected to Parliament in 1948, he served in Labour Party governments (1964–70, 1974–76). A strong supporter of NATO and the European Community …   Universalium

  • Jenkins (de Hillhead), Roy (Harris) Jenkins, barón — (11 nov. 1920, Abersychan, Monmouthshire, Inglaterra–5 ene. 2003, Oxfordshire). Político británico. Elegido al parlamento en 1948, participó en gobiernos laboristas (1964–70, 1974–76). Fuerte partidario de la OTAN y de la Comunidad Europea, fue… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Roy Jenkins — Roy Jenkins, the Chancellor of Oxford Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC (* 11. November 1920 in Abersychan, heute zu Pontypool, Wales; † 5. Januar 2003 in East Hendred, Oxfordshire …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Roy Jenkins — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Roy Harris Jenkins, Barón Jenkins of Hillhead (Abersychan, 11 de noviembre de 1920 Oxfordshire, 5 de enero de 2003) fue un político británico, miembro del Partido Laborista y ministro en diversas ocasiones durante la …   Wikipedia Español

  • Harris — Harris, Richard Harris, Zelling S. * * * (as used in expressions) Crawford, William H(arris) Christopher Harris Harris, Joel Chandler Harris, Roy LeRoy Ellsworth Harris Harris, Sir Arthur Travers, 1 baronet Harris, Townsend Jenkins (de Hillhead) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Jenkins —   [ dʒeȖkɪnz],    1) Leroy, amerikanischer Jazzmusiker (Violinist, Komponist), * Chicago (Illinois) 11. 3. 1932; gründete 1971 mit dem Bassisten Sirone und dem Perkussionisten Jerome Cooper das »Revolutionary Ensemble«. Jenkins, der seine… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Roy Jenkins — Infobox Politician honorific prefix = The Right Honourable name = Roy Jenkins honorific suffix = Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, CH, CBE, PC birth date = 11 November 1920 birth place = Abersychan, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK death date = Death date and… …   Wikipedia

  • Harris — /har is/, n. 1. Benjamin, c1660 c1720, English journalist who published the first newspaper in America 1690. 2. Frank, 1856 1931, U.S. writer, born in Ireland. 3. Joel Chandler /chan dleuhr, chahn /, 1848 1908, U.S. journalist, novelist, and… …   Universalium

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