Brittan, Sir Leon

Brittan, Sir Leon

(brĭt`ən), 1939–, British politician. Educated at Cambridge, he was elected to Parliament as a Conservative in 1974. Under Margaret ThatcherThatcher, Margaret Hilda Roberts Thatcher, Baroness,
1925–2013, British political leader. Great Britain's first woman prime minister, nicknamed the "Iron Lady" for her uncompromising political stance, Thatcher served longer than any other British prime minister in the 20th
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 he served as home secretary (1983–85) and secretary for trade and industry (1985–86). He resigned from the government in the aftermath of the Westland helicopter affair (1986), which involved the leak of confidential communication. An advocate of the closer integration of Britain with Europe, he served (1989–99) on the European Commission of the European Community and European Union. He was knighted in 1989.