Editing Roy Jenkins (section)

==Early life (1920–1945)==
Born in [[Abersychan]], [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]], in southeastern [[Wales]], as an only child, Roy Jenkins was the son of a [[National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)|National Union of Mineworkers]] official, [[Arthur Jenkins (British politician)|Arthur Jenkins]]. His father was imprisoned during the [[1926 General Strike]] for his alleged involvement in disturbances.<ref>John Campbell, ''Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life'' (London: Jonathan Cape, 2014), p. 9.</ref> Arthur Jenkins later became President of the [[South Wales Miners' Federation]] and Member of Parliament for [[Pontypool (UK Parliament constituency)|Pontypool]], [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to [[Clement Attlee]], and briefly a minister in the [[Labour Government 1945-1951|1945 Labour government]]. Roy Jenkins' mother, Hattie Harris, was the daughter of a steelworks foreman.<ref>Campbell, ''Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life'', pp. 9-11.</ref>

Jenkins was educated at Pentwyn Primary School, [[Abersychan Comprehensive School|Abersychan County Grammar School]], [[University College, Cardiff]], and at [[Balliol College, Oxford]], where he was twice defeated for the Presidency of the [[Oxford Union]], but took a [[First-Class Honours|first-class]] degree in [[Politics, Philosophy and Economics]] (PPE).<ref>Campbell, ''Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life'', pp. 17, 25, 60.</ref> His university colleagues included [[Tony Crosland]], [[Denis Healey]] and [[Edward Heath]], and he became friends with all three, although he was never particularly close to Healey.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

In [[John Campbell (biographer)|John Campbell]]'s biography, ''A Well-Rounded Life'', a romantic relationship between Jenkins and Crosland was detailed.<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10687788/Roy-Jenkins-male-lover-Tony-Crosland-tried-to-halt-his-marriage.html |title=Roy Jenkins' male lover Tony Crosland tried to halt his marriage |last=Perry |first=Keith |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=10 March 2014 |access-date=5 November 2017 |location= London }}</ref><ref>Campbell, ''Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life'', p. 33.</ref> Other figures whom he met at Oxford who would become notable in public life included [[Madron Seligman]], [[Nicholas Henderson]] and [[Mark Bonham Carter]].<ref name=saunders>{{cite journal |last1=Saunders |first1=Robert |date=March 2015 |title=Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life |url=https://reviews.history.ac.uk/review/1741 |journal=[[Reviews in History]] |doi=10.14296/RiH/2014/1741 |access-date=20 October 2020|doi-access=free }}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], Jenkins received his officer training at [[History of Alton Towers|Alton Towers]] and was posted to the 55th West Somerset Yeomanry at [[West Lavington, Wiltshire]].<ref>Campbell, ''Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life'', pp. 67, 71.</ref> Through the influence of his father, in April 1944, Jenkins was sent to [[Bletchley Park]] to work as a [[codebreaker]]; while there he befriended the historian [[Asa Briggs]].<ref>Campbell, ''Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life'', pp. 78, 81.</ref><ref>PBS Nova, "Decoding Nazi Secrets", 27 November 2015 (interview of Jenkins); BBC Obituary: Roy Jenkins, Sunday, 5 January 2003.</ref><ref name=saunders />