Leon Brittan

For the footballer, see Leon Britton.

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	(1939-09-25) 25 September 1939 North London, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Diana Clemetson
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge
Profession	Barrister
Religion	Judaism

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.

Early life

Leon Brittan was born to parents of Lithuanian Jewish descent, 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.

Political career

MP and minister

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 in January 1986, over the Westland affair. Brittan had authorised the leaking of a letter from the Solicitor General that had accused Michael Heseltine of inaccuracies in his campaign for Westland to be rescued by a consortium of European investors. The rest of the Government, led by Margaret Thatcher, supported a deal with the American business Sikorsky Fiat. It was later revealed that Brittan had attempted to persuade British Aerospace and GEC to withdraw from the European consortium.

European Commission

He was knighted in 1989. 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 Santer 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. In 1995, he was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) by the University of Bath.

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

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.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by 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	Constituency abolished
Preceded by Timothy Kitson	Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks) 1983–1988	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