Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne
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Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, QC, PC (born 25 September 1939 in London to parents of Lithuanian Jewish extraction) is a barrister, a British politician, and a former Conservative Member of Parliament and former member of the European Commission. His brother is Sir Samuel Brittan, an economics commentator at the Financial Times and financial journalist.
Brittan was educated at the Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School and then Trinity College, Cambridge (where he was President of the Cambridge Union Society), he started his career as a lawyer. After unsuccessfully contesting the constituency of North Kensington in 1966 and 1970, he was elected to parliament in the general election of February 1974 for Cleveland and Whitby, and became an opposition spokesman in 1976. He was made a Queen's Counsel in 1978. Between 1979 and 1981 he was Minister of State at the Home Office, and then was made Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a Cabinet position. At the 1983 election he changed his seat to Richmond, Yorkshire. He was Home Secretary from 1983 to 1985, and was then moved to Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He resigned over the Westland affair.
He was made a commissioner at the European Commission in 1989, resigning as an MP at this time, and became vice-president, but resigned with the rest of the commission in 1999 amid accusations of widespread fraud.
During his 14 years as an MP he served the constituencies of Cleveland and Whitby (1974-1983) and Richmond (1983-1989).
He was created Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, of Spennithorne in the County of North Yorkshire in February 2000 and is an advisory director of Unilever and a consultant to the City law firm Herbert Smith. He is married to Diana and has two step-daughters.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Profile of Sir Leon Brittan
- Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 29 February 2000
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Tinn |
Member of Parliament for Cleveland and Whitby 1974–1983 |
Succeeded by (constituency abolished) |
| Preceded by Timothy Kitson |
Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorkshire) 1983–1988 |
Succeeded by William Hague |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by William Whitelaw |
Home Secretary 1983–1985 |
Succeeded by Douglas Hurd |
| Preceded by Norman Tebbit |
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 1985–1986 |
Succeeded by Paul Channon |
| Preceded by Peter Sutherland |
European Commissioner for Competition 1989–1993 |
Succeeded by Karel van Miert |
| Preceded by Henning Christophersen |
Vice-President of the European Commission 1995–1999 |
Succeeded by Neil Kinnock |
| Preceded by Frans Andriessen |
European Commissioner for External Affairs 1995–1999 |
Succeeded by Chris Patten |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Brittan, Leon |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Baron Brittan of Spennithorne |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | British politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1939-09-25 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: Articles lacking sources from December 2006 | All articles lacking sources | 1939 births | Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies | Conservative MPs (UK) | Life peers | British Secretaries of State | Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom | Presidents of the Cambridge Union Society | European Commissioners | Secretaries of State for the Home Department | Living people | Unilever | English Jews | UK MPs 1974 | UK MPs 1974-1979 | UK MPs 1979-1983 | UK MPs 1983-1987 | UK MPs 1987-1992 | People associated with the University of Teesside | Members of the Bow Group
