Leon Brittan

The Right Honourable The Lord Brittan of Spennithorne PC QC DL
Brittan in 2011
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	The Lord Patten of Barnes
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
Minister of State for the Home Office
In office 4 May 1979 – 5 January 1981
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Lord Boston
Succeeded by	Patrick Mayhew
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
Died	21 January 2015(2015-01-21) (aged 75) London, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Diana Clemetson ​ (m. 1980)​
Education	The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Hertfordshire
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge and Yale University (Henry Fellowship)
Profession	Barrister

Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne PC QC DL (25 September 1939 – 21 January 2015) was a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Home Secretary (1983–1985), a member of Parliament (MP) and subsequently of the European Commission.

Brittan died of cancer in London, aged 75.^[1]

In October 2014, a Labour MP used parliamentary privilege to refer to claims that Brittan had been linked to child abuse.^[2] On 21 March 2016, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that "Operation Midland", the investigation into the alleged paedophile ring, had been closed without any charges being brought.^[3]

References

1. Mason, Rowena (22 January 2015). "Leon Brittan, former home secretary, dies aged 75". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
2. "Westminster paedophile scandal: Tory minister Leon Brittan 'liked boys to dress in women's underwear'". 20 July 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
3. Laville, Sandra; Syal, Rajeev (21 March 2016). "Operation Midland: inquiry into alleged VIP paedophile ring collapses". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 March 2016.

Other websites

• Media related to Leon Brittan at Wikimedia Commons