Former British Home Secretary Leon Brittan dies

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,340
1,650
113
Former Home Secretary Leon Brittan has died aged 75 after a long battle with cancer, his family have said.


The former Conservative MP was a key figure in Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s and later became a European Commissioner.

Prime Minister David Cameron said he had been a "dedicated and fiercely intelligent public servant".

Lord Brittan recently faced questions over his handling of child abuse allegations during his time in office.

Ex-Home Secretary Leon Brittan dies

BBC News
22 January 2015

Former Home Secretary Leon Brittan has died aged 75 after a long battle with cancer, his family have said.

The former Conservative MP was a key figure in Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s and later became a European Commissioner.

Prime Minister David Cameron said he had been a "dedicated and fiercely intelligent public servant".

Lord Brittan recently faced questions over his handling of child abuse allegations during his time in office.

The controversy centred on a dossier on alleged high-profile paedophiles handed to the then home secretary by former Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens. Lord Brittan insisted the proper procedures had been followed.

'Meteoric rise'

First elected in 1974, Lord Brittan was home secretary in Margaret Thatcher's government from 1983 to 1985. He later became trade and industry secretary, resigning in 1986 during the row over control of British helicopter manufacturer Westland, which became known as the Westland affair.

He quit when he was revealed as having authorised the leaking of a letter from the solicitor general criticising former Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine, who had also resigned a few weeks earlier.

As an MP, Lord Brittan represented the constituencies of Cleveland and Whitby and Richmond in Yorkshire. He stood down from the Commons when he became a European commissioner in 1989.

Commons Leader William Hague, the current Richmond MP, said he had been a "kind, assiduous and brilliant man", while former Chancellor Lord Lamont said he "would have risen to the top of whatever profession he had chosen".

Leon Brittan



Leon Brittan (third left) served in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet

Raised in London, he studied at Cambridge University and worked as a barrister after graduating.

Served as home secretary from 1983 to 1985 and president of the Board of Trade in 1985/86, before resigning in 1986 in the aftermath of the Westland helicopter affair.

Spent a decade in Brussels from 1989 to 1999 as one of the UK's European commissioners, and as vice-president of the Commission from 1989 to 1993.

He was MP for Cleveland and Whitby from 1974 to 1983 and for Richmond, Yorkshire, from 1983 to 1988.


BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said Lord Brittan had enjoyed a "meteoric political rise" to the Home Office, where he clashed with striking miners.

His family said he was a beloved husband, stepfather and step-grandfather.

William Hague tells the Commons the late Lord Brittan was a "kind, assiduous and brilliant man"

They added: "We also salute his extraordinary commitment to British public life as a member of Parliament, minister, Cabinet minister, European Commissioner and peer - together with a distinguished career in law, and latterly in business.

"Leon passed away last night at his home in London after a long battle with cancer. We shall miss him enormously."

In his tribute, Mr Cameron added: "As a central figure in Margaret Thatcher's government, he helped her transform our country for the better by giving distinguished service as chief secretary to the Treasury, home secretary and secretary of state for trade and industry."

Former Conservative Party leader Lord Howard said it was a "tragedy" that Lord Brittan's "last days were dogged by these quite unsubstantiated allegations" about the child abuse dossier, but did not think it had "very much effect on him".

Michael Heseltine describes Lord Brittan as a "man of great integrity" and "great culture and great intellect"

It was claimed that the dossier containing the allegations had been "destroyed" by officials. Last year a review found no evidence that records were deliberately removed or destroyed.

It failed to find "the Dickens Dossier", or any clear evidence of what Mr Brittan had done after receiving it.

In response, Lord Brittan said he had received a "substantial bundle of papers" from Mr Dickens, which he had asked Home Office officials to examine and "report back to me" if "action needed to be taken".



In October Fiona Woolf, the government's chosen head of the wider public inquiry into child sexual abuse stepped down over criticism of her links with the Conservative peer.

Paying tribute, Lord Heseltine said he hoped Lord Brittan would be judged by his political achievements, saying there was no way a home secretary "can tell someone to lose a document".


BBC News - Ex-Home Secretary Leon Brittan dies
 

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
11,548
0
36
Leon Brittan easily deserved that consolation. But his achievements were overshadowed. There were rumours about sexual malpractice, and an alleged involvement in a paedophile ring of senior politicians. It was also claimed that he had buried a dossier concerning high-profile child abusers in 1994 during his time as Home Secretary


Leon Brittan: A fine man and an important ally of Thatcher who left under a cloud - Telegraph






A top British diplomat was the focus of a secret government file about his "unnatural" sexual behaviour, Sky News can reveal.




The file, which has just been released to the National Archives, names the late Sir Peter Hayman as the subject of the document prepared for then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher


Sir Peter died in 1992 but during his career worked as a diplomat including as High Commissioner to Canada


He was named as an abuser of children by the MP Geoffrey Dickens in the 1980s and also had links to the controversial Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE).


The files reveal for the first time that Mrs Thatcher was in regular correspondence over what she describes in one handwritten letter as the "Hayman matter".




The diplomat regularly sent obscene material through the post and kept detailed records of his sexual activities and fantasies.


Two incidents that may have been significant are noted in the report: one while Sir Peter was working in Baghdad, the other in Ottawa, Canada. No details of what happened are included.


He had also been exposed as someone with links to paedophilia in Private Eye magazine and the file shows that the official response was that the claims were "generally accurate".


Thatcher's government advisers were also acutely concerned with how they would handle questions about the diplomat, with one briefing not highlighting the line to take for any interviews.


MP John Mann, who campaigns on the issue of child abuse, said: "All of these files that have been classified need to be opened up.




more




Secret 'Unnatural Sex' File Names Top Diplomat
 

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
11,548
0
36
Russian and US spies compiled their own secret dossiers on paedophile MPs and other VIP abusers , it has been claimed.


Police are investigating missing files put together by UK campaigners which allege a powerful network at the heart of Westminister in the 1970s and 80s.


The Sunday People can reveal that agents from the Russian KGB and the American CIA were also said to have compiled their own intelligence in search of “dirt” on key individuals at the height of the Cold War.


One source close to the KGB said: “These were troubled times and my task was to identify people who could perhaps help us with information.


“We knew of some MPs who loved rent boys, and others who were active paedophiles.


“We were also aware of some unusual activities at Westminster and the work of the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE).


"Several regular names emerged and we wanted to make contact and use this to our advantage.


“In those days, MPs were protected by Special Branch and anyone with a chequered history, or an unhealthy appetite for young children, was soon flagged up by them.


“They had a difficult job but were fully aware that we knew what they knew, and they tried hard to suppress any possible leaks.”




Former Home Secretary Leon Brittan, who died last week, was named in the historical sexual abuse scandal after claims he was handed a dossier containing details of the abuse allegations in the 1980s.


Mr Brittan - also named last week as an abuser at the notorious Elm Guest House - was accused of failing to act on the evidence passed to him by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens in 1983.


While he admitted he had met Mr Dickens and had been handed a file, he said he had passed it on to officials and was not contacted about the issue again.


Former Labour minister Barbara Castle compiled her own damning files on PIE - which was urging ministers to legalise sex with children - and they were seized by Special Branch officers in 1984.




more


Westminster child abuse scandal: KGB and CIA kept secret dossiers on Britain's VIP paedophiles - Mirror Online
 

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,340
1,650
113
Criticism of Leon Brittan over abuse claims 'wicked'

23 January 2015
BBC News


Lord Brittan held a number of senior positions

A former colleague of Lord Brittan has hit out at the "wicked insinuations" surrounding his handling of historical child abuse allegations.

Lord Deben, who, as John Gummer, served alongside the former home secretary in government in the 1980s, said claims he had failed to properly investigate a dossier of allegations "was obviously not true".

Those who believed to the contrary should supply "real evidence" or "shut up", the Tory peer told the BBC.

Lord Brittan died on Wednesday aged 75.

Tributes have been paid in the House of Lords to Lord Brittan, a key figure in Margaret Thatcher's government and later a European Commissioner, after his death from cancer.

Lord Brittan recently faced questions over his handling of child abuse allegations, centring on a dossier on alleged high-profile paedophiles handed to him in the early 1980s by former Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens.

'Bundle of papers'

It was claimed that the dossier containing the allegations had been "destroyed" by officials although Lord Brittan insisted the proper procedures had been followed and a review last year found no evidence that records were deliberately removed or destroyed.


John Gummer served with Lord Brittan under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s


Lord Brittan said he had received a "substantial bundle of papers" from Mr Dickens, which he had asked Home Office officials to examine and "report back to me" if "action needed to be taken".

The review failed to locate "the Dickens Dossier", or any clear evidence of what Lord Brittan had done after receiving it.

Lord Deben, who served in a number of ministerial roles during the Thatcher government as well as being Conservative chairman, said he did not believe the dossier consisted of any "detailed, well thought-out list of work or real research".

'Real evidence'

It was more likely to have been made up of "bits and pieces" and newspaper cuttings, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"It was dealt with as any secretary of state would deal with it," he said. "But the subject is so disgraceful, awful and appalling that people, not realising that, would be asking, 'Why wasn't it dealt with in some special way?'"

Suggestions that Lord Brittan had sought to cover up the allegations in any way was completely false, he said.

"Anyone who knew him knew that it was not the nature of the man. He was very direct in saying that was not true and it was not true.

"Anyone who does not have real evidence should recognise it is a wicked thing to do to make allegations about anybody even if you don't like their politics.

"I do think that, particularly, politicians making innuendoes and insinuations, in order to make it look as if they know something when they don't, should shut up. If they do know something they should come forward directly and give that information."

Speaking in the Lords, former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Fowler said it was "inconceivable" that Lord Brittan would have been involved in any kind of cover-up.

"I hope, now he is dead, people will not use the release from libel to attack his reputation," he said. "He certainly does not deserve that."

'Clock ticking'

In October Fiona Woolf, the government's chosen head of the wider public inquiry into child sexual abuse, stepped down over criticism of her links with the Conservative peer.

Her predecessor, Lady Butler-Sloss, also stepped down after questions were raised about her independence and potential conflicts of interest.

Labour has said there is "no choice" but to restart the inquiry with a new chair and statutory powers, since survivors of abuse risk being "let down".

Home Secretary Theresa May has said she will announce the new head, powers and structure of the inquiry by the end of January.

But the BBC's home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said the inquiry was in disarray, with no chair and the panel members in disagreement with each other.

The "clock was ticking" for the inquiry, he added, given that it was dealing with allegations stretching back to the 1950s, and those in positions of authority at the time who were still alive were nearing the end of their lives.


BBC News - Criticism of Leon Brittan over abuse claims 'wicked'

He was named as an abuser of children by the MP Geoffrey Dickens in the 1980s and also had links to the controversial Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE).

Labour's feminazi Deputy Leader, Harriet "Hattie Harperson" Harman, is a paedophile with links to PIE. Or, if she isn't a paedophile, she certainly supports paedophilia. Feminazis like Harperson don't like children (as well as men), of course. That's one reason why they support killing them in the womb.

 
Last edited:

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
11,548
0
36
Thatcher 'Turned Blind Eye' To Paedophile MPs




The Government is colluding in an abuse cover-up over fears of what revelations may come out before the election, an MP claims.


Simon Danczuk, who exposed Sir Cyril Smith as a prolific child abuser, said: "There is no doubt about it now, from what we know, that she turned a blind eye to people who were quite clearly paedophiles. That is absolutely clear.


"It is a real stain on Margaret Thatcher's legacy and I don't get any pleasure from saying that, but she turned a blind eye to it."


The Rochdale MP also claimed the Government is refusing to publish at least four other files on historic child abuse because it was worried about what information may come out before May's General Election.


He added: "(The Cabinet Office) have resisted publishing these documents for over 12 months - that's not acceptable.


"They refused to tell the public who nominated Cyril Smith for a knighthood. A journalist managed to get that out of them after going to the Information Commissioner. It was indeed David Steel.


"And we now know they are resisting publishing at least four other files relating to historic child sexual abuse.


The Cabinet Office has denied trying to cover up information about Downing Street's knowledge of Smith's abuse of young boys before he was knighted.


Documents show Mrs Thatcher was made aware of the claims about the Liberal MP before he was handed the honour in 1988.


The 19-page dossier of information on the decision to give Smith the knighthood contains several letters, including an undated one from a Political Honours Scrutiny Committee member to the then prime minister.


In the letter, marked secret, Lord Shackleton said police investigated Smith in 1970 for "indecent assault against teenage boys" between 1961 and 1966.


But, the letter noted, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided "there was no reasonable prospect of conviction".


The letter to Mrs Thatcher said the case was reported in the Rochdale Alternative Press and Private Eye, adding: "One may regret this kind of press reporting but it could be revived if an award to Mr Smith were made."


Lord Shackleton also said it would be "slightly unfortunate" if this "episode" stopped Smith, who died aged 82 in 2010, receiving the knighthood.




Thatcher 'Turned Blind Eye' To Paedophile MPs
 

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,340
1,650
113
Sir Cyril Smith
A Liberal Democrat and therefore a member of the Left Wing Establishment, so the Left Wing Establishment turned a blind eye to it.

Had Smith been a member of Ukip, however......

By the way, this was Sir Cyril Smith:



He was the Liberal MP (and then the Liberal Democrat MP from 1988 after the Liberal Party merged with the Social Democratic Party [SDP] in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats) for Rochdale from 1972 until 1992 and died in 2010.

Seeing him coming towards you would be like Tiananmen Square.
 
Last edited: