Roy Hattersley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Hattersley
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Hattersley in 2012
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| Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | |||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 October 1983 – 18 July 1992 |
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| Leader | Neil Kinnock | ||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Denis Healey | ||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Margaret Beckett | ||||||||||||||||
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| Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection | |||||||||||||||||
| In office 10 September 1976 – 4 May 1979 |
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| Prime Minister | James Callaghan | ||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Shirley Williams | ||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Office abolished | ||||||||||||||||
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| Member of the House of Lords | |||||||||||||||||
| Life peerage 24 November 1997 – 19 May 2017 |
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| Member of Parliament for Birmingham Sparkbrook |
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| In office 15 October 1964 – 8 April 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Leslie Seymour | ||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished | ||||||||||||||||
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| Born |
Roy Sydney George Hattersley
28 December 1932 Sheffield, England |
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| Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||||
| Spouses |
Edith Mary "Molly" Loughran
(m. 1956; div. 2013)Maggie Pearlstine
(m. 2013) |
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| Alma mater | University of Hull | ||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Journalist | ||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  |
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Roy Sydney George Hattersley, also known as Baron Hattersley, born on 28 December 1932, is a British politician, writer, and journalist from Sheffield. He was a member of the Labour Party and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Sparkbrook for over 32 years, from 1964 to 1997. He also held the important role of Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and Education
Roy Hattersley was born in Sheffield, England, on 28 December 1932. His mother, Enid Brackenbury, was a city councillor and later became the Lord Mayor of Sheffield in 1981. His father, Frederick Roy Hattersley, had various jobs, including a police officer and a clerk.
Roy was interested in politics from a young age. He started helping with election campaigns when he was just 12 years old in 1945. He went to Sheffield City Grammar School. After that, he studied at the University of Hull. He originally planned to study English but was advised to study Economics instead, as it was considered helpful for a career in politics.
At university, Roy joined the Socialist Society. He helped change its name to the "Labour Club" and connected it with international student groups. He became the chairman of this new club.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
After university, Hattersley worked for a short time at a steelworks in Sheffield. He then spent two years working for the Workers' Educational Association, which provides education for adults.
In 1956, he was elected to the Sheffield City Council as a Labour representative. He also briefly served as a Justice of the Peace (JP). On the council, he led committees dealing with public works and housing.
Roy's main goal was to become a Member of Parliament (MP) in Westminster. He ran for election in the Sutton Coldfield area in 1959 but did not win. He kept trying for other seats.
In 1963, he was chosen to run for the Birmingham Sparkbrook area. This area had many different cultures. On 16 October 1964, he won the election. He held this seat for the next eight general elections, serving for over 32 years.
Early Roles as an MP
When he first became an MP, Roy Hattersley worked as a Parliamentary private secretary for Margaret Herbison, who was the Minister for Pensions. His first major speech in Parliament was about a bill related to housing.
He also started writing a column called Endpiece for The Spectator magazine. Later, this column moved to other publications like The Listener and The Guardian.
Becoming a Minister
Roy Hattersley became a minister in 1967. He joined Ray Gunter at the Ministry of Labour. The next year, he was promoted to a higher role in the same ministry, working under Barbara Castle. He helped put into action a law about prices and incomes.
In 1969, he was promoted again to work with Denis Healey, who was the Minister of Defence. One of his first tasks was to sign an order to send troops to Northern Ireland.
Time in Opposition and Key Roles
The Labour Party lost the general election in 1970. This meant Roy Hattersley spent the next 21 years as an MP in the Opposition, not in the government. He was appointed Deputy Foreign Affairs Spokesman, which involved a lot of travel.
He became a strong supporter of the Common Market (now the European Union). This view was different from many in his own party. In 1972, he voted with the Conservative government to join the Common Market. This decision caused some disagreements within the Labour Party.
Joining the Privy Council
When Labour returned to power in 1974, Roy Hattersley was appointed Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. In 1975, he became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the Queen.
He led the British team during the "Cod Wars" in Iceland, which were disputes over fishing rights. His main job was to renegotiate Britain's membership terms in the Common Market.
In 1976, he became the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection. He held this position until Labour lost the election in 1979.
Shadow Cabinet Roles
After the 1979 election, Roy Hattersley was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet. This means he was part of the opposition team that would take over if Labour won. He was the Shadow Minister for the Environment.
Later, he became the Shadow Home Secretary. He felt that the Labour leader at the time, Michael Foot, was "a good man in the wrong job."
Roy Hattersley also helped create a group called Labour Solidarity. This group worked to keep the Labour Party together during a difficult time in the early 1980s.
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
After Labour lost the 1983 general election, the leader, Michael Foot, stepped down. Roy Hattersley ran for the leadership position. However, Neil Kinnock won the election.
As was common then, Roy Hattersley was elected as the Deputy Leader. This pairing of Kinnock and Hattersley was seen as a "dream ticket." Kinnock represented the left side of the party, and Hattersley represented the right.
Roy Hattersley remained Deputy Leader for nine years. He also served as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer until 1987, when he moved back to Shadow Home Affairs.
Kinnock and Hattersley worked to improve the Labour Party after 1983. They removed members of the Militant group, whose activities went against the party's rules. They also faced challenges from other politicians but managed to keep their leadership roles.
In the lead-up to the 1992 election, Roy Hattersley supported Neil Kinnock at a big rally in Sheffield. He believed Kinnock would become the next Prime Minister.
Life After Parliament
The Labour Party lost the 1992 general election. Neil Kinnock announced he would resign as leader, and Roy Hattersley also decided to step down as Deputy Leader. He supported his friend John Smith, who won the leadership contest.
In February 1994, Roy Hattersley announced he would leave politics at the next general election in 1997. On 24 November 1997, he was made a life peer as Baron Hattersley. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords for life. He retired from the House of Lords on 19 May 2017.
After leaving front-line politics, Roy Hattersley became a critic of the "New Labour" government led by Tony Blair. He felt that Blair's Labour Party was different from the one he had joined.
Later Life and Writing
Roy Hattersley is also a well-known author and journalist. In 2003, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He has written three novels and several biographies. His biographies cover religious topics and the Edwardian period. In 2010, he published a long biography about David Lloyd George.
In 2008, he appeared in a documentary about the Doctor Who TV show. He discussed the political mood when the episode was made.
Personal Life
Roy Hattersley married his first wife, Molly, in 1956. She was an educationalist. They divorced in 2013 after 57 years of marriage. They did not have any children. In the summer of 2013, he married Maggie Pearlstine, who was his literary agent.
Roy Hattersley supports the idea of a British republic. He is a big fan of the football team Sheffield Wednesday. He is also a member of the Reform and Garrick clubs.
