Greville Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone - Biography

Greville Ewan Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone (born 11 July 1928) is a British Labour politician, lawyer and author. A QC since 1971, he was a Labour MP from 1970 to 1997. He is also associated with a number of Jewish NGOs, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, of which he was Chairman from 1978 to 1984.

Background

Janner was born in Cardiff, Wales to Jewish parents, the son of Sir Barnett Janner, a former Chairman of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain. Educated at St Paul’s School, London, Janner was evacuated to Canada during the war and attended Bishop's College School, Lennoxville, Quebec. Later, Janner studied Law, attending Trinity Hall, Cambridge where he was President of the Cambridge Union Society in 1952, and Harvard Law School, which he attended through both the Fulbright and Smith-Mundt awards.

He became a barrister in 1954 and was appointed a QC in 1971.

Political career

Janner represented Leicester North West and then Leicester West in the House of Commons from 1970 until his retirement in 1997. His predecessor in the seat was his father, Sir Barnett Janner, a former Chairman of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain. He was succeeded by Patricia Hewitt.

He was created a life peer as Baron Janner of Braunstone, of Leicester in the County of Leicestershire in 1997. He is President of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Anti-Semitism, and chairs the All-Party Britain-Israel Parliamentary Group.

NGO career

Lord Janner was president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the main representative body of British Jewry, from 1978 to 1984, and was a key campaigner in the efforts to get reparations for victims of the Holocaust. He is also a vice president of both the World Jewish Congress and the Jewish Leadership Council.

Lord Janner is Founder and President of the Commonwealth Jewish Council and Chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust. He is the Chairman of Holocaust Educational Trust's Baltic Mass Graves Committee, seeking to find, map, signpost and mark the Holocaust mass graves in the Baltic States.

Miscellaneous

Janner wrote a number of books on public speaking and business communication, including On Presentation. He is a member of The Magic Circle and the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Lord Janner has throughout his career sought to foster good relations between different faiths and religions. His book, One Hand Alone Cannot Clap, is testimony to this work. He co-founded (along with Prince Hassan of Jordan) the Coexistence Trust, a charity to combat Islamophobia and antisemitism.

Lord Janner's youngest daughter is an ordained Rabbi. Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner was appointed National Rabbinic Spokesperson for The Movement for Reform Judaism in 2011.

Books

• (1978) The Motorist's Lawyer, Royal Automobile Club
• (1979) Product Liability, Random House Business Books
• (1985) Janner's Complete Letterwriter
• (1986) On Meetings, Gower Publishing
• (1989) On Chairing, Gower Publishing
• (1989) On Presentation, Random House Business Books
• (1991) How to Win Meetings, Gower Publishing
• (1998) One Hand Alone Cannot Clap: Arab Israeli Universe, Robson Books
• (2003) Janner's Speechmaker, Thorogood
• (2008) Jewish Parliamentarians, (with Derek Taylor)

External links

• Lord Janner's website