Roy Hattersley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Hattersley PC FRSL
Hattersley in 2012
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
In office 2 October 1983 – 18 July 1992
Leader	Neil Kinnock
Preceded by	Denis Healey
Succeeded by	Margaret Beckett
Shadow cabinet posts 1979–1992 Shadow Secretary of State 1979–1980 Environment 1980–1983 Home Department 1983–1987 Chancellor of the Exchequer 1987–1992 Home Department
Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection
In office 10 September 1976 – 4 May 1979
Prime Minister	James Callaghan
Preceded by	Shirley Williams
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Junior ministerial posts 1974–1976 Minister of State 1974–1976 Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Shadow cabinet posts 1972–1974 Shadow Secretary of State 1973–1974 Education and Science Shadow Spokesperson 1972–1974 Trade and Industry
Junior ministerial posts 1967–1970 Minister of State 1969–1970 Defence Administration Parliamentary Under-Secretary 1968–1969 Employment and Productivity Parliamentary Secretary 1967–1968 Ministry of Labour
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage 24 November 1997 – 19 May 2017
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Sparkbrook
In office 15 October 1964 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Leslie Seymour
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	Roy Sydney George Hattersley (1932-12-28) 28 December 1932 (age 92) Sheffield, England
Political party	Labour
Spouses	Edith Mary "Molly" Loughran ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 2013)​ Maggie Pearlstine ​ (m. 2013)​
Alma mater	University of Hull
Profession	Journalist
Signature

Roy Sydney George Hattersley, also known as Baron Hattersley, is a British politician, author, and journalist. He was born on December 28, 1932, in Sheffield, England. He was a member of the Labour Party and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Sparkbrook for over 32 years. From 1983 to 1992, he was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

Early Life and Family Background

Roy Hattersley was born in Sheffield, England. His mother, Enid Brackenbury, was a city councillor and later became the Lord Mayor of Sheffield. His father, Frederick Roy Hattersley, had various jobs, including a police officer and a clerk. He was also involved in local council work.

Education and Early Political Steps

Roy Hattersley was interested in politics from a young age. He supported the Labour Party and helped with election campaigns when he was only 12 years old. He attended Sheffield City Grammar School. After passing an important exam called the "eleven-plus," he went on to study at the University of Hull.

At university, he joined a group for young socialists, which he helped change into the "Labour Club." This club connected with other youth groups around the world. Roy became a leader in these student political groups.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

After university, Hattersley worked for a steelworks and then for an educational organization. He was elected to the Sheffield City Council in 1956. On the council, he worked on public works and housing.

His main goal was to become a Member of Parliament (MP) in Westminster. An MP is a person elected to represent a specific area, called a constituency, in the UK Parliament. After trying for several years, he was chosen to stand for election in Birmingham Sparkbrook. This area had a mix of different cultures. In 1964, he won the election and became the MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook. He held this seat for the next eight general elections.

Roy Hattersley as a Journalist

While serving as an MP, Roy Hattersley also became a journalist. He started writing a regular column for The Spectator magazine. Later, his column moved to The Listener and then to The Guardian newspaper.

Important Government Roles

Roy Hattersley became a government minister in 1967. He worked at the Ministry of Labour, which dealt with jobs and workers' rights. He was later promoted to a higher role in the same ministry. In 1969, he became the deputy to the Minister of Defence, Denis Healey. One of his first tasks in this role was to sign an order to send troops to Northern Ireland.

Views on the European Common Market

After the Labour Party lost the election in 1970, Hattersley spent many years in opposition. He became a strong supporter of the Common Market, which is now known as the European Union (EU). This was a group of European countries that worked together on trade and other issues. His support for the Common Market put him at odds with some members of his own party.

In 1972, he was one of the Labour MPs who voted with the Conservative government to join the European Economic Community (EEC), which was the Common Market at the time. Because he stood by his party, he was appointed as the Shadow Defence Secretary and later the Shadow Secretary of State for Education. These roles meant he was the main spokesperson for his party on these topics while they were not in power.

Joining the Privy Council

When the Labour Party returned to power in 1974, Hattersley became the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. In 1975, he was sworn into the Privy Council. This is a group of senior advisors to the British monarch. Being a member means you are called "The Right Honourable."

He also led the British team during the "Cod Wars," which were disagreements with Iceland over fishing rights. Later, he became the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection. He held this important position until the Labour Party lost the general election in 1979.

Becoming Deputy Leader

After the Labour Party's big defeat in the 1983 general election, the leader, Michael Foot, decided to step down. Roy Hattersley ran for the leadership position. Although he had support from many senior politicians, Neil Kinnock won the election.

However, Roy Hattersley was then elected as the Deputy Leader. This was seen as a "dream ticket" because Kinnock represented the left side of the party, and Hattersley represented the right. Hattersley served as Deputy Leader for nine years. He also held important roles as Shadow Chancellor (dealing with money matters) and later Shadow Home Secretary (dealing with law and order).

Kinnock and Hattersley worked to improve the Labour Party after 1983. They dealt with internal disagreements and tried to make the party more appealing to voters. They faced a leadership challenge in 1988 but remained in their roles. Leading up to the 1992 election, Labour was doing well in opinion polls. Hattersley supported Kinnock at a large rally in his hometown of Sheffield.

Life After Parliament

The 1992 general election resulted in another defeat for the Labour Party. Neil Kinnock resigned as leader, and Roy Hattersley also announced his resignation as Deputy Leader. He supported his friend John Smith, who became the new leader.

In 1994, Hattersley announced he would leave politics at the next general election. In 1997, he was made a life peer as Baron Hattersley. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords, which is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. He retired from the House of Lords in 2017.

Later Career and Interests

After leaving the House of Lords, Roy Hattersley continued his work as an author and journalist. In 2003, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, which is a special honor for writers. He has written several novels and biographies, including books about religious topics and the Edwardian period. His biography of David Lloyd George was published in 2010.

In his personal life, Roy Hattersley married his first wife, Molly, in 1956. They divorced in 2013 after being separated for five years. Later in 2013, he married Maggie Pearlstine. He is a big fan of the football team Sheffield Wednesday.