Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, QC, PC (born 25 September 1939 in London) 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, 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 and has two step-daughters.

[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