Roy Jenkins

**Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead**,  (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British Labour Party, SDP and Liberal Democrat politician, and biographer of British political leaders.

Jenkins was elected to Parliament as a Labour MP in 1948. He served as Home Secretary from 1965 to 1967 and Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1967 and 1970. He was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party on 8 July 1970, but resigned in 1972 because he supported entry to the European Communities, while the party opposed it.

In 1977, he was appointed President of the European Commission, serving until 1981. He was the first British holder of this office, and is to be the only such (considering the United Kingdom's decision in June 2016 to leave the European Union), providing the United Kingdom does not re-join the European Union in the future.

He was also a known historian, biographer and writer. His _A Life at the Centre_ (1991) is thought to be as one of the best autobiographies of the later 20th century, which "will be read with pleasure long after most examples of the genre have been forgotten".

## Other websites

- "Roy Jenkins (The Rt Hon Lord Jenkins of Hillhead)" , Fellows Remembered, The Royal Society of Literature

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: The Lord Jenkins of Hillhead
- **image**: Roy Jenkins 1977b.jpg
- **office**: President of the European Commission
- **term start**: 6 January 1977
- **term end**: 19 January 1981
- **predecessor**: François-Xavier Ortoli
- **successor**: Gaston Thorn
- **office1**: Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords
- **leader1**: Paddy Ashdown
- **term start1**: 16 July 1988
- **term end1**: 19 December 1997
- **predecessor1**: Beatrice Seear, Baroness Seear, The Baroness Seear
- **successor1**: William Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank, The Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank
- **office2**: List of Chancellors of the University of Oxford, Chancellor of the University of Oxford
- **1blankname2**: List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Oxford, Vice-Chancellor
- **1namedata2**: Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen, The Lord Neill
Richard Southwood, Sir Richard Southwood
Peter North (legal scholar), Sir Peter North
Colin Lucas, Sir Colin Lucas
- **term start2**: 14 March 1987
- **term end2**: 5 January 2003
- **predecessor2**: Harold Macmillan, The Earl of Stockton
- **successor2**: Chris Patten, The Lord Patten of Barnes
- **office3**: Leader of the Social Democratic Party (UK), Social Democratic Party
- **deputy3**: David Owen
- **term start3**: 7 July 1982
- **term end3**: 13 June 1983
- **predecessor3**: _Social Democratic Party (UK)#Creation of the SDP, The Gang of Four_
- **successor3**: David Owen
- **office4**: Home Secretary
- **primeminister4**: Harold Wilson
James Callaghan
- **term start4**: 5 March 1974
- **term end4**: 10 September 1976
- **predecessor4**: Robert Carr
- **successor4**: Merlyn Rees
- **primeminister5**: Harold Wilson
- **term start5**: 23 December 1965
- **term end5**: 30 November 1967
- **predecessor5**: Frank Soskice, Baron Stow Hill, Frank Soskice
- **successor5**: James Callaghan
- **office6**: Shadow Home Secretary
- **leader6**: Harold Wilson
- **term start6**: 25 November 1973
- **term end6**: 5 March 1974
- **predecessor6**: Shirley Williams
- **successor6**: Jim Prior, Baron Prior, Jim Prior
- **office7**: Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
- **leader7**: Harold Wilson
- **term start7**: 8 July 1970
- **term end7**: 10 April 1972
- **predecessor7**: George Brown, Baron George-Brown, George Brown
- **successor7**: Edward Short, Baron Glenamara, Edward Short
- **office8**: Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
- **leader8**: Harold Wilson
- **term start8**: 19 June 1970
- **term end8**: 10 April 1972
- **predecessor8**: Iain Macleod
- **successor8**: Denis Healey
- **office9**: Chancellor of the Exchequer
- **primeminister9**: Harold Wilson
- **term start9**: 30 November 1967
- **term end9**: 19 June 1970
- **predecessor9**: James Callaghan
- **successor9**: Iain Macleod
- **office10**: Ministry of Aviation, Minister of Aviation
- **primeminister10**: Harold Wilson
- **term start10**: 18 October 1964
- **term end10**: 23 December 1965
- **predecessor10**: Julian Amery
- **successor10**: Fred Mulley
- **office11**: Member of Parliament (UK), Member of Parliament
for Glasgow Hillhead (UK Parliament constituency), Glasgow Hillhead
- **term start11**: 25 March 1982
- **term end11**: 11 June 1987
- **predecessor11**: Tam Galbraith
- **successor11**: George Galloway
- **office12**: Member of Parliament (UK), Member of Parliament
for Birmingham Stechford (UK Parliament constituency), Birmingham Stechford
- **term start12**: 23 February 1950
- **term end12**: 31 March 1977
- **predecessor12**: Boundary commissions (United Kingdom), _Constituency created_
- **successor12**: Andrew MacKay
- **office13**: Member of Parliament (UK), Member of Parliament
for Southwark Central (UK Parliament constituency), Southwark Central
- **term start13**: 29 April 1948
- **term end13**: 23 February 1950
- **predecessor13**: John Hanbury Martin, John Martin
- **successor13**: Boundary commissions (United Kingdom), _Constituency abolished_
- **birth name**: Roy Harris Jenkins
- **birth place**: Abersychan, Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire, Wales
- **death place**: East Hendred, Oxfordshire, England
- **party**: Labour Party (UK), Labour
Social Democratic Party (UK), Social Democrats

- **alma mater**: Cardiff University
Balliol College, Oxford
- **branch**:  British Army
- **rank**: Captain (British Army and Royal Marines), Captain
- **unit**: Royal Artillery
- **battles**: Second World War