John Harris, Baron Harris of Greenwich

Harris was born on 5 April 1930 in Pinner, Middlesex, to Alfred George Harris and his wife, May. He was educated at Pinner County Grammar School before working as a journalist and completing National Service with the Directorate of Army Legal Services.[1][2]

He became assistant editor of Forward, a left-wing weekly newspaper, when it was brought to London in 1957, which was the start of his career in politics.[2] He became the parliamentary candidate for Bromley in the same year, but resigned in 1959 when Forward folded and he became personal assistant to Hugh Gaitskell, Leader of the Opposition.[1] Describing Harris's appointment, Tony Benn said that it was "the best thing that has happened to Hugh for years".[2] He rose to become the Labour Party's Director of Publicity between 1962 and 1964. During the same period he was a local councillor for the new town of Harlow (1957–63), becoming chairman between 1960 and 1961 and leader of the Labour group between 1961 and 1963.[1]

Harris became a political adviser when Labour came into government following the 1964 general election, firstly to Foreign Secretary Patrick Gordon Walker, and then to Roy Jenkins successively at the Ministry of Aviation, the Home Office and the Treasury, until the 1970 general election when Labour lost power.[1] He became a political correspondent for The Economist until Labour returned to office in 1974, when he was created a life peer as Baron Harris of Greenwich, of Greenwich in Greater London,[3] and was appointed Minister of State for Home Affairs under Jenkins during the latter's second spell as Home Secretary.[1] He is credited as being a successful minister,[1][2] and served until January 1979 when he resigned to become Chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales (1979–1982).[4]

Harris was a leading member of the 'Yes' campaign for the 1975 referendum on whether Britain should remain a member of the European Communities, and was joint chairman of the publicity committee.[1][2]

He was a founder member of the Social Democrats in 1981, and was a supporter of their merger with the Liberals in 1988.[2] He became the new party's spokesperson in the House of Lords on home affairs until 1994, when he became Chief Whip.[5] He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1998.[6]

He held a number of other positions, including: trustee and chairman of UK's policing think tank, The Police Foundation, which he founded in 1979;[7] President of the National Association of Senior Probation Officers (1983–1992);[5] and board member and chairman of Westward Television.[4]

He died in London on 11 April 2001.[1]

He married twice, firstly to Patricia Margaret Alstrom in 1952, with whom he had two children. The marriage was dissolved in 1982, and he married Angela Smith in 1983.[1]

His obituary in The Guardian described him as "probably the first ever spin doctor", and said:

Harris was, in his own way, a distinguished public servant, rejecting what would have been lucrative opportunities in the world of public relations, and not revealing in memoirs the confidences he received during his long career. He was 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.

— William Rodgers, The Guardian, 13 April 2001[2]

Speaking to BBC News, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said Harris was "an exceptionally gifted all-rounder whose experience and insights dating back to Gaitskell were invaluable".[8] Paying tribute in the House of Lords, Lord Henley said that "he always behaved with integrity" and that when they were in agreement on an issue he could "always rely on his robustness in argument and on the iron discipline with which he marshalled his troops".[9] Jenkins followed, saying:

He was to me a counsellor of buoyancy, humour, flair and instinctive political wisdom, whose presence in any moment of bafflement—and there were many moments of bafflement in ministerial and political life—not only shone a clear light of good sense but made vicissitudes more bearable.

— Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, House of Lords, 23 April 2001[9]

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Mr John Harris