Leon Brittan

Leon Brittan
The Right Honourable
The Lord Brittan of Spennithorne
QC PC DL
Vice-President of the European Commission
In office
16 March 1999 – 15 September 1999
President Manuel Marín (Acting)
Preceded by Manuel Marín
Succeeded by Neil Kinnock
European Commissioner for External Relations
In office
23 January 1995 – 15 September 1999
President Jacques Santer
Manuel Marín (Acting)
Preceded by Frans Andriessen
Succeeded by Chris Patten
European Commissioner for Trade
In office
6 January 1993 – 15 September 1999
President Jacques Delors
Jacques Santer
Manuel Marín (Acting)
Preceded by Frans Andriessen
Succeeded by Pascal Lamy
European Commissioner for Competition
In office
6 January 1989 – 6 January 1993
President Jacques Delors
Preceded by Peter Sutherland
Succeeded by Karel Van Miert
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
In office
2 September 1985 – 24 January 1986
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by Norman Tebbit
Succeeded by Paul Channon
Home Secretary
In office
11 June 1983 – 2 September 1985
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by William Whitelaw
Succeeded by Douglas Hurd
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office
5 January 1981 – 11 June 1983
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by John Biffen
Succeeded by Peter Rees
Member of Parliament
for Richmond (Yorks)
In office
9 June 1983 – 31 December 1988
Preceded by Timothy Kitson
Succeeded by William Hague
Member of Parliament
for Cleveland and Whitby
In office
28 February 1974 – 9 June 1983
Preceded by James Tinn
Succeeded by Constituency Abolished
Personal details
Born 25 September 1939 (1939-09-25) (age 72)
North London, United Kingdom
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Diana Clemetson
Alma mater Trinity College, Cambridge
Profession Barrister
Religion Judaism

Sir Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, QC, PC, DL (born 25 September 1939, North London) is a British barrister, politician and former Conservative Member of Parliament, as well as former member of the European Commission and former Home Secretary of the United Kingdom. His brother is Sir Samuel Brittan, an economics commentator at the Financial Times and financial journalist.

Contents

Early life

Leon Brittan was born to parents of Lithuanian Jewish extraction, and was educated at the Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School and then Trinity College, Cambridge where he was President of the Cambridge Union Society and Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association. He started his career as a lawyer. He is a cousin of both Malcolm Rifkind and Mark Ronson.[citation needed]

Member of Parliament

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. 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.[citation needed]

In Jeffrey Archer's 1984 novel First Among Equals Brittan was mentioned briefly as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the late 1980s. This was in the future at the time of publication – and before the Westland Affair; in reality Brittan would never hold that position.

European Commission

He was knighted in 1989.[1] He was made European Commissioner for Competition at the European Commission early in 1989, resigning as an MP to take the position. In 1995 he became European Commissioner for Trade and European Commissioner for External Affairs, also serving as Vice-President of the European Commission. Brittan resigned with the rest of the commission in 1999 amid accusations of fraud. During his time as Vice President of the European Commission, one subsequently prominent member of his official office was Nick Clegg, currently leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister.[2]

Peerage

He was created Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, of Spennithorne in the County of North Yorkshire in February 2000. He is Vice Chairman of UBS AG Investment Bank, non-executive director of Unilever and member of the international advisory committee for Total S.A.

Return to government

In August 2010, Brittan returned to the government under the Conservative-Liberal coalition acting as a trade advisor.[3]

Marriage

His wife, Diana (née Clemetson; born 1940), Lady Brittan of Spennithorne, was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2004. Leon Brittan has two stepdaughters.

References

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
James Tinn
Member of Parliament for Cleveland and Whitby
19741983
Constituency abolished
Preceded by
Timothy Kitson
Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks)
19831988
Succeeded by
William Hague
Political offices
Preceded by
John Biffen
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
1981–1983
Succeeded by
Peter Rees
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
The Lord Cockfield
European Commissioner from the United Kingdom
1989–1999
Served alongside: Bruce Millan (1989–1995)
Neil Kinnock (1995–1999)
Succeeded by
Chris Patten
Preceded by
Stanley Clinton-Davis
Succeeded by
Neil Kinnock
Preceded by
Peter Sutherland
European Commissioner for Competition
1989–1993
Succeeded by
Karel Van Miert
Preceded by
Frans Andriessen
European Commissioner for Trade
1994–1999
Succeeded by
Pascal Lamy
European Commissioner for External Relations
1995–1999
Succeeded by
Chris Patten
Preceded by
Manuel Marín
First Vice President of the European Commission
1999
Succeeded by
Neil Kinnock
Academic offices
New office Chancellor of the University of Teesside
1993–2005
Succeeded by
The Lord Sawyer

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  • Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne — Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, PC (* 25. September 1939 in London), ist ein Barrister, britischer konservativer Politiker, früheres Mitglied des britischen Parlaments, der britischen Regierung und der Europäischen Kommission. Sein… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Brittan — Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, PC (* 25. September 1939 in London), ist ein Barrister, britischer konservativer Politiker, früheres Mitglied des britischen Parlaments, der britischen Regierung und der Europäischen Kommission. Sein… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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