BRITAIN: Roy Jenkins, one of the great "nearly" men of late 20th century British politics, died suddenly yesterday at his Oxfordshire home. He was 82 and suffered recurring heart trouble.
A reforming home secretary and successful chancellor of the exchequer in the 1960s, Lord Jenkins was widely tipped to succeed Sir Harold Wilson as Labour's leader in the 1970s. But when his differences about Europe and the party's lurch to the left wrecked his dwindling prospects, he became a modernising president of the European Commission before coming home to lead the SDP in its attempt to "break the mould" of two-party politics.
Lord Jenkins, who completed his best-selling biography of Sir Winston Churchill after undergoing a heart by-pass operation in 2000, collapsed at his country home in East Hendred, near Didcot, at 9 a.m. yesterday. A notable bon viveur, he combined until recently a wide range of interests, including the chancellorship of Oxford University, with a punishing work schedule.
Born in 1920, Jenkins grew up in a political household. His father, Arthur Jenkins, was a Welsh miner who became a Labour MP and close confidante of Clement Attlee, the Labour prime minister in 1945-51.
Jenkins's academic career at Oxford University saw him graduate with first-class honours in philosophy, politics and economics in 1941, followed by army service during the second World War. He entered Parliament in 1948.
Labour, after 13 years in the wilderness, was returned to office in 1964. As aviation minister, Jenkins was responsible for the development of Concorde, the Anglo-French supersonic aircraft.
It was no surprise when, in 1965, Jenkins joined the cabinet as home secretary. During his two years at the Home Office he was responsible for two of the more enduring legacies of the "permissive" 1960s by helping to legalise both abortion and homosexuality.
It was also a turbulent time for the British economy, however. Labour was re-elected with an increased majority in 1966, but a year later the government devalued the pound. Chancellor of the exchequer James Callaghan resigned, he and Jenkins swapping jobs.
The government regained some of its lost reputation for financial competence under Jenkins, but he could not prevent Labour losing the 1970 general election.
In opposition, Jenkins became Labour's deputy leader. But he became increasingly frustrated by his party's attitude towards British entry into the European Community.
He quit his post as deputy leader to Harold Wilson in 1972. When Wilson's Conservative successor as prime minister, Sir Edward Heath, took Britain into the European Economic Community in 1973, Jenkins was his strongest Labour supporter.
Labour's narrow victories in the two elections of 1974 saw Jenkins back at the Home Office for a further two-year period.
He then sensationally quit Parliament to become the first British president of the EEC.
Jenkins was the first significant British political figure to pursue a career in European politics, and during his four-year stint in Brussels he launched the European Monetary System, which helped lead to the creation of the euro.
During this time the Labour Party was moving further to the left, a trend that alarmed Jenkins.
Two years after the Callaghan government's defeat in 1979 Jenkins, along with fellow Labour politicians Dr David Owen, Ms Shirley Williams and Mr Bill Rodgers helped create the SDP. Collectively, they were known as the "Gang of Four".
The SDP was Britain's first new major political party in over 80 years since the Labour Party was founded in 1900.
Eventually, Jenkins lost his seat in 1987 and moved into the House of Lords.
He became an intellectual inspiration to Mr Blair, who appointed him to head a commission into electoral reform. But this did not bring about the change in the "first-past-the-post" system for parliamentary elections he wanted.
He is survived by his wife Jennifer, two sons and a daughter. -