Mr Balfour's Poodle
Publishes Mr Balfour's Poodle about the constitutional struggle leading to the Parliament Act.
Role range: 1954-1954
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Roy Harris Jenkins Biography and Timeline — Page 2
Follow Roy Harris Jenkins through 170 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Roy Harris Jenkins, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
170Distinct records
2 of 5Page
1954–1967Years on this page
1954
Obscenity Law Reform
Supports liberalising obscenity law as part of his civil-liberties agenda.
Role range: 1950-1977
1955
General Election
Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour as the Conservatives win nationally.
Role range: 1950-1977
British Film Institute
Begins serving on the Board of Governors of the British Film Institute.
Role range: 1955-1958
Gaitskellite Revisionism
Aligns with Hugh Gaitskell's modernising and revisionist wing of the Labour Party.
Role range: 1955-1963
1956
Opposition to Suez
Condemns the Suez intervention at a Labour meeting in Birmingham.
Role range: 1950-1977
Suez Crisis
Criticises the Conservative government's handling of the Suez crisis.
Role range: 1950-1977
1958
Sir Charles Dilke
Publishes Sir Charles Dilke, establishing his reputation as a political biographer.
Role range: 1958-1958
1959
General Election
Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour during another Conservative general election victory.
Role range: 1950-1977
Labour Modernisation
Promotes a modernised social-democratic programme after Labour's third consecutive election defeat.
Role range: 1950-1977
1962
Common Market Debate
Breaks with Hugh Gaitskell by supporting British entry into the European Economic Community.
Role range: 1950-1977
1963
Shadow Cabinet
Serves on Labour's front bench before the 1964 general election.
Role range: 1963-1964
Death of Hugh Gaitskell
Loses his political mentor when Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell dies unexpectedly.
Role range: 1950-1977
Economist Editorship
Considers leaving politics to become editor of The Economist after Gaitskell's death.
Role range: 1963-1963
1964
General Election
Retains Birmingham Stechford as Labour returns to government under Harold Wilson.
Role range: 1950-1977
Ministerial Appointment
Joins Harold Wilson's government as Minister of State at the Ministry of Aviation.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1965
Asquith
Publishes his acclaimed biography of Liberal Prime Minister H. H. Asquith.
Role range: 1964-1964
Concorde Programme Review
Reviews Britain's participation in the Anglo-French Concorde aircraft programme.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1965
Concorde
Handles aviation issues during early British and French Concorde development.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1965
1965
Capital Punishment
Supports the parliamentary campaign that suspends capital punishment for murder.
Role range: 1950-1977
Race Relations Act
Supports the first Race Relations Act as a Labour Member of Parliament.
Role range: 1950-1977
Cabinet
Enters the Cabinet as Home Secretary after Frank Soskice leaves the office.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Home Office Reform Programme
Begins a broad liberal programme intended to create a more tolerant society.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Education Secretary Offer
Declines an offer to become Education Secretary before his appointment as Home Secretary.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1965
1966
General Election - General Election
Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
General Election Election Outcome
General election outcome recorded for Roy Harris Jenkins: Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
General Election Government
Government context for this general election: Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
General Election
Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Civilised Society Speech
Sets out his liberal aim of a more civilised society.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Prison Discipline Reform
Advances reforms intended to modernise prison discipline and penal administration.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Prison Flogging
Works to remove flogging from the penal code and prison discipline system.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
1967
Sexual Offences Act
Supports reform partially decriminalising homosexual acts between adult men in private.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Abortion Act
Supports parliamentary time for abortion law reform during his Home Office tenure.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer following the devaluation of sterling.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1967-1970
Devaluation Aftermath
Becomes Chancellor after sterling devaluation and begins restoring confidence in the economy.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1967-1970
Austerity Programme
Begins preparing an austerity programme to address Britain's post-devaluation financial crisis.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1967-1970
Civilised Society Programme
Links liberal social reform with his objective of building a more civilised society.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Criminal Justice Act
Oversees major criminal justice reforms affecting sentencing and jury verdicts.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Majority Verdicts
Introduces majority verdicts in jury trials through criminal justice legislation.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Suspended Sentences
Introduces suspended sentences as part of the government's criminal justice reforms.
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1965-1967
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.