Roy Harris Jenkins Biography

Birth of Roy Harris Jenkins, later Labour minister, SDP founder and Liberal Democrat peer.

Is born into a Welsh Labour family led by miners' representative Arthur Jenkins.

Studies at Abersychan Grammar School before progressing to university education.

Begins studying philosophy, politics and economics at Balliol College, Oxford.

Studies for six months at University College Cardiff before moving to Oxford.

Develops his political outlook while studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford.

Helps establish a democratic socialist group that soon displaces the former Oxford Labour Club.

Leaves the Communist-dominated Oxford Labour Club with Tony Crosland and other democratic socialists.

Serves as President of the Balliol College Junior Common Room.

Graduates from Oxford with a first-class degree in philosophy, politics and economics.

Loses the Oxford Union presidency election by five votes.

Serves as an officer in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War.

Works in wartime intelligence after earlier service in the Royal Artillery.

Joins British signals intelligence as a captain in the Intelligence Corps.

Works on intelligence derived from the German Lorenz high-command teleprinter cipher.

Joins the Testery research team in Block F at Bletchley Park.

Decodes German communications while serving at Bletchley Park.

Holds the rank of captain during his wartime intelligence service.

Leaves wartime service strongly committed to European unity and international cooperation.

Works for the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation before entering Parliament.

Works under John Herivel in the Newmanry section in Block H.

Completes his military and intelligence service at the end of the Second World War.

Contests Solihull for Labour at the 1945 general election and is defeated.

Works in postwar business finance while preparing for a parliamentary career.

Develops his reputation as a political writer and Labour policy commentator.

Edits a collection of Clement Attlee speeches under the title Purpose and Policy.

Publishes Mr Attlee, an interim biography of the Labour Prime Minister.

Becomes one of the youngest Labour members in the postwar House of Commons.

Enters the Commons as one of the youngest MPs of the post-war Parliament.

Begins his first period of service in the House of Commons.

Wins the Southwark Central by-election and enters the House of Commons.

Wins Birmingham Stechford after boundary changes abolish Southwark Central.

Moves to Birmingham Stechford after Southwark Central disappears during boundary changes.

Begins writing a weekly political column for the Indian newspaper The Current.

Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour at the general election.

Becomes associated with the Labour revisionist wing around Hugh Gaitskell.

Advocates progressive social reforms from the Labour back benches.

Argues for ending capital punishment before later reforms suspend the death penalty.

Supports the principle of equal pay as part of his wider reform programme.

Publishes The Pursuit of Progress during his early parliamentary career.

Publishes Mr Balfour's Poodle about the constitutional struggle leading to the Parliament Act.

Supports liberalising obscenity law as part of his civil-liberties agenda.

Begins serving on the Board of Governors of the British Film Institute.

Aligns with Hugh Gaitskell's modernising and revisionist wing of the Labour Party.

Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour as the Conservatives win nationally.

Condemns the Suez intervention at a Labour meeting in Birmingham.

Criticises the Conservative government's handling of the Suez crisis.

Publishes Sir Charles Dilke, establishing his reputation as a political biographer.

Promotes a modernised social-democratic programme after Labour's third consecutive election defeat.

Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour during another Conservative general election victory.

Breaks with Hugh Gaitskell by supporting British entry into the European Economic Community.

Loses his political mentor when Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell dies unexpectedly.

Considers leaving politics to become editor of The Economist after Gaitskell's death.

Serves on Labour's front bench before the 1964 general election.

Publishes his acclaimed biography of Liberal Prime Minister H. H. Asquith.

Handles aviation issues during early British and French Concorde development.

Reviews Britain's participation in the Anglo-French Concorde aircraft programme.

Retains Birmingham Stechford as Labour returns to government under Harold Wilson.

Joins Harold Wilson's government as Minister of State at the Ministry of Aviation.

Declines an offer to become Education Secretary before his appointment as Home Secretary.

Begins a broad liberal programme intended to create a more tolerant society.

Supports the parliamentary campaign that suspends capital punishment for murder.

Supports the first Race Relations Act as a Labour Member of Parliament.

Enters the Cabinet as Home Secretary after Frank Soskice leaves the office.

Sets out his liberal aim of a more civilised society.

Advances reforms intended to modernise prison discipline and penal administration.

Works to remove flogging from the penal code and prison discipline system.

Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

General election outcome recorded for Roy Harris Jenkins: Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

Government context for this general election: Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

Begins preparing an austerity programme to address Britain's post-devaluation financial crisis.

Links liberal social reform with his objective of building a more civilised society.

Oversees major criminal justice reforms affecting sentencing and jury verdicts.

Introduces majority verdicts in jury trials through criminal justice legislation.

Introduces suspended sentences as part of the government's criminal justice reforms.

Supports reform partially decriminalising homosexual acts between adult men in private.

Supports parliamentary time for abortion law reform during his Home Office tenure.

Is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer following the devaluation of sterling.

Becomes Chancellor after sterling devaluation and begins restoring confidence in the economy.

Roy Harris Jenkins presents the 1968 Budget to the House of Commons as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The 1968 Budget under Roy Harris Jenkins sets out the Government's taxation, expenditure and borrowing plans.

Maintains tight fiscal discipline to strengthen the balance of payments.

Secures Cabinet approval for substantial reductions in domestic and overseas spending.

Delivers a tough Budget aimed at restoring financial confidence after devaluation.

Presents a restrictive Budget designed to reduce demand and restore financial stability.

Supports a government period in which theatre censorship is abolished.

Oversees the return of Britain's balance of payments to surplus.

Roy Harris Jenkins presents the 1969 Budget to the House of Commons as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The 1969 Budget under Roy Harris Jenkins sets out the Government's taxation, expenditure and borrowing plans.

Helps return Britain's balance of payments to surplus after the post-devaluation austerity programme.

Rebuilds confidence in Treasury policy through sustained financial discipline.

Serves in the government that passes divorce law reform.

Roy Harris Jenkins presents the 1970 Budget to the House of Commons as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The 1970 Budget under Roy Harris Jenkins sets out the Government's taxation, expenditure and borrowing plans.

Delivers his final Budget before the June general election.

Leaves the Treasury after Labour loses the general election.

Becomes Shadow Chancellor after Labour loses the 1970 general election.

Wins the Labour deputy leadership after the election defeat.

Supports British entry into the European Communities despite Labour divisions.

Votes for European Community entry and helps rally pro-European Labour Members of Parliament.

Defies Labour's official position during the decisive Commons vote on European entry.

Votes with pro-European MPs during the parliamentary struggle over EC entry.

Publishes What Matters Now while arguing for social-democratic and pro-European policies.

Resigns as Labour's deputy leader after the party turns against European entry.

Supports the legislation enabling Britain to join the European Communities.

Welcomes Britain's entry into the European Communities.

Returns to Labour's front bench as the principal opposition spokesman on home affairs.

Resumes Home Office responsibility during a period of terrorism and public order pressure.

Introduces emergency legislation responding to terrorist violence in Great Britain.

Secures temporary powers intended to prevent terrorism and restrict proscribed organisations.

Returns to the Home Office when Labour forms a minority government.

Begins his second period as Home Secretary in Harold Wilson's government.

Directs the Home Office response after the Birmingham pub bombings.

Takes a leading role in the cross-party campaign for continued European Community membership.

Campaigns for a Yes vote in the European Communities referendum.

Welcomes the referendum result confirming Britain's continued European Community membership.

Is selected to become the next President of the European Commission.

Accepts nomination to become President of the European Commission.

Receives 56 votes and finishes third in the first Labour leadership ballot.

Withdraws from the leadership contest after concluding that his support cannot increase.

Finishes third in the Labour leadership contest after Harold Wilson resigns.

Leaves the Home Office before taking up the European Commission presidency.

Reorganises aspects of the Commission's internal work and public communication.

Begins leading the European Commission during a period of integration debates.

Takes office as President of the European Commission.

Becomes the first British politician to serve as President of the European Commission.

Presents a major public case for European monetary union in Florence.

Calls for a substantial advance toward European economic and monetary union.

Supports preparations for further enlargement of the European Community.

Promotes closer monetary cooperation among European Community governments.

Promotes closer monetary cooperation that contributes to the European Monetary System.

Represents the Commission in international meetings and diplomatic visits.

Supports Franco-German proposals that lead toward the European Monetary System.

Handles growing disagreement over Britain's contribution to the European Community budget.

Welcomes the launch of the European Monetary System after sustained Commission advocacy.

Oversees Commission preparations for the first direct elections to the European Parliament.

Presides over the Commission during the first direct European Parliament elections.

Delivers the Dimbleby Lecture criticising Britain's two-party political system.

Calls for a new radical centre capable of breaking established party alignments.

Keeps detailed diaries later published from his Commission presidency.

Proposes a compromise approach to Britain's European Community budget dispute.

Forms the SDP with Shirley Williams, David Owen and Bill Rodgers.

Helps establish electoral cooperation between the SDP and the Liberal Party.

Completes his term as President of the European Commission.

Ends four years as President of the European Commission.

Signs the Limehouse Declaration with other Labour defectors launching the SDP project.

Helps launch the Social Democratic Party as a centrist alternative to Labour.

Finishes a close second at the Warrington by-election for the new SDP.

Works with Liberal leader David Steel to build the SDP-Liberal Alliance.

Wins Glasgow Hillhead at a celebrated by-election, returning to the Commons.

Becomes the first elected leader of the Social Democratic Party.

Leads the SDP-Liberal Alliance during the 1983 general election campaign.

Leads the SDP into the general election as part of the Alliance.

Retains Glasgow Hillhead while stepping back from party leadership.

Resigns as SDP leader after the general election and is succeeded by David Owen.

Publishes European Diary, drawing on his years at the European Commission.

Publishes a biography of United States President Harry S Truman.

Publishes a biography of Stanley Baldwin during his final year in the Commons.

Is elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford, serving until his death.

Loses Glasgow Hillhead at the general election and leaves the House of Commons.

Takes his seat in the House of Lords as Baron Jenkins of Hillhead.

Leads the Liberal Democrat peers in the House of Lords.

Begins serving as President of the Royal Society of Literature.

Becomes a Liberal Democrat peer after the SDP and Liberals merge.

Publishes A Life at the Centre, his political memoir.

Publishes a major biography of William Ewart Gladstone.

Acts as an informal adviser to Tony Blair after Labour returns to government.

Is appointed to chair the Independent Commission on the Voting System.

Publishes The Chancellors, examining Treasury leadership from 1945 to 1990.

Recommends the Alternative Vote Plus system for elections to the House of Commons.

Publishes the commission report proposing an Alternative Vote Plus electoral system.

Publishes Churchill, a major biography of Winston Churchill.

Dies at East Hendred in Oxfordshire after a heart attack