John Harris, Baron Harris of Greenwich

John Henry Harris, Baron Harris of Greenwich ( born April 5, 1930 in Pinner, Middlesex, † April 11, 2001 in London) was a British journalist, politician and political advisor.

Early years

John Harris received his education at the Pinner County Grammar School before he began to work as a journalist. He completed his National Service in the Directorate of Army Legal Service.

Political career

In 1957, Harris co-editor of the Forward, the weekly newspaper of the Labour Party when it moved to London. In the same year he was a candidate for the British Parliament in the constituency of Bromley, but stepped back as Forward was set in 1959. He became assistant to Hugh Gaitskell, who led the Labour party leader in opposition. The party colleague Tony Benn described this appointment of Harris as "the best thing did Has happened to Hugh for years" (engl. the best thing that had happened to Hugh for years). From 1962 to 1964 Harris was the spokesman of the party. From 1957 to 1963 he sat in the newly formed town of Harlow Council, from 1961 to 1963 he was a Labour party leader.

As Labour in 1964 after the British general election came to power, he was political adviser, initially for Secretary Patrick Gordon Walker, later Roy Jenkins, the Minister of Aviation, the Interior Ministry and the Treasury. Once Labour had lost up to the elections in 1970, he was political correspondent of The Economist. As Labour again in 1974, the government, he was raised as Baron Harris of Greenwich for Life Peer and was appointed Minister for Home Affairs appointed. In 1979 he resigned from this post and was until 1982 Chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales.

Harris was one of the leaders of the "Yes " campaign in the referendum about the EU membership of the United Kingdom. In 1981 he was one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party and a supporter of the merger of Until 1994 he was with .. Liberal Party home affairs spokesman of the new party in the House of Lords, he was Chairman of the Group. In 1988 he was appointed to the Privy Council.

In addition to his political Harris has held other offices. He was chairman of the Police Foundation, 1983-19982 president of the National Association of Senior Probation Officer ( 1983-1992 ) and Board of Westward Television, a local radio station for southern England.

In the obituary for Harris him bezeichnetet the Guardian as "probably the first ever spin doctor " (Eng. possibly the very first spin- Doctor) and wrote

" Harris which, in his own way, a distinguished public servant, Rejecting what would have been lucrative opportunities in the world of public relations, and not revealing memoirs in the confidences he received falling on his long career. Hey what always loyal to his many friends, who valued his opinions and enjoyed his company, Although at heart he was a shy, rather than a gregarious, man. "

" Harris was rejected in its own way, an outstanding public servant, the lucrative opportunities in the world of public relations and the confidence he enjoyed during his long career, had not revealed in memoirs. He was always loyal to his many friends who appreciated his views and his company enjoyed, although he was a rather shy as a social person at heart. "

Private

John Harris was married twice. The first marriage lasted from 1952 to 1982, you had two children. In 1983 he was married for the second.