Roy Jenkins Biog

I owe Simon Griffiths a great deal. The Senior Researcher from the Social Market Foundation was responsible for the daringly open-minded act of considering my application for the internship this last winter, an experience that ended up being almost unremittingly positive (barring the labeling of post boxes). It left me with levels of self-confidence I normally only get after an exam result or gambling win, which I will need to draw upon for a while if I am to get anywhere.

As a parting gift Simon bought me a copy of Roy Jenkins' autobiography. His PhD was in the acceptance of market forces by the Labour movement, so such crossover characters must have been right up his street. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, barring the bits where the personalities of late 70's EU commissioners are dissected in venemous detail, and it has provided useful insight into how politics works, or at least did. To do it and the subject more generally full justice I ought to cross-reference it to other key autobiographies, in particular of those whom RJ with little disguise regards as the wreckers, over-promoted or wrong-headed characters of the era (David Owen's personality was seen as political fact of dismal significance to the future of 3rd party politics; Wilson as someone with scarcely a principle or longer term idea than himself; Tony Benn and Michael Foot as almost lunatic; Dennis Healey the might-have-been. Thatcher is intruiging, but is unlikely - as someone who actually made it - to have symmetric reflections on Jenkins himself).

The lifestyle of serious politicans, with the endless invitations to speak, the midnight and beyond clause negotiations, the critical decisions (in his case, budget cuts and prisoner-treatment were the most vital), the travel, was well illustrated. I don't have the option, but even if I did I am not sure I could make that much personal sacrifice.

Otherwise, it made me very curious to read some of his actual political output, given how close he might have been to becoming a proper right-Labour prime minister. Paul Lindford has made me more curious here.

He otherwise makes a telling point about how fine speeches don't win elections. See Paul Lindford's top 10 speeches for further evidence at the top.

Thanks Simon.