X-Nico

8 unusual facts about Roy Jenkins


Gaston Thorn

In 1980 Thorn was chosen as President of the Commission of the European Communities (now called the European Union), in succession to Roy Jenkins.

Murder of Maxwell Confait

Meanwhile, the General Election on February 1974 brought Roy Jenkins and Alex Lyon into the Home Office, both of whom were committed to reviewing miscarriages of Justice.

Roy Jenkins

While at Aviation he oversaw the high profile cancellations of the BAC TSR-2 and Concorde projects (although the latter was later reversed after strong opposition from the French Government).

During the Second World War, Jenkins served with the Royal Artillery and then at Bletchley Park, reaching the rank of captain.

Sexual Offences Act 1967

The comments of Roy Jenkins, Home Secretary at the time, captured the government's attitude: "those who suffer from this disability carry a great weight of shame all their lives" (quoted during parliamentary debate by The Times on 4 July 1967).

Stass Paraskos

Despite luminaries of the art world speaking in Paraskos's defence, including Sir Herbert Read and Norbert Lynton, and messages of support from Britain's Home Secretary Roy Jenkins, Paraskos lost the trial and was fined five pounds.

University of Urbino

While the student body and faculties gradually increased and developed over time it was under the long and presidency of Senator for Life Carlo Bo that the University enjoyed unprecedented growth in size and prestige, prompting the former president of the European Community Commission, Roy Jenkins, to state that “the University of Urbino is an incisive presence in contemporary thought, contributing in original ways to the cultural and intellectual life of Europe”.

Watchfield

Watchfield Free Festival was the only Free festival to be government sponsored (with assistance by then-Home Secretary Roy Jenkins), or be given official recognition.


Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977

The Birmingham Stechford by-election, in Birmingham, on 31 March 1977 was held after Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Jenkins resigned his seat following his appointment as President of the European Commission.

Campaign for Democratic Socialism

As a result of the massive Bevanite grassroots mobilization against Gaitskell, the CDS was established in October 1960 by a group of Labour politicians and supporters, among the most prominent of which were Bill Rodgers, Dick Taverne, Anthony Crosland, Douglas Jay, Roy Jenkins.

St Philip's Church, Hove

Former Conservative Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, Labour minister and SDP founder Roy Jenkins and former Labour minister Gerald Kaufman were on the panel.

University of Oxford Chancellor election, 2003

It was also the first election to use the single transferable vote, after the previous election by first past the post in 1987 saw two conservative candidates (Robert Blake, Baron Blake and Sir Edward Heath) splitting the conservative vote at 2,500 each, allowing social democrat Roy Jenkins to win with just 3,500 votes.

Warrington by-election, 1981

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was formed by prominent figures on the right of the Labour Party in early 1981, known as the "Gang of Four" – Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins, David Owen and Bill Rodgers.

Woodrow Wyatt

After ceasing to be an active politician, he was appointed by Roy Jenkins as Chairman of the Horserace Totalisator Board from 1976–1997.


see also

Honicknowle

Owen was a founder member (one of the Gang of Four, the other three being Baroness Shirley Williams, Lord Roy Jenkins and Lord Bill Rodgers) of the SDP and then broke away to form the real SDP, when the original SDP merged with the Liberals after an electoral pact of four years.