Leaders gather to say farewell to Lord Jenkins

Tony and Cherie Blair led mourners at the funeral yesterday of Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, the former Labour home secretary and chancellor.

The 300-strong congregation included Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, Lord Irvine of Lairg, the Lord Chancellor, John Reid, the Labour chairman, and Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank, who helped Roy Jenkins found the SDP. Lord Jenkins, whose career also included four years as European Commission president, died aged 82 on Sunday after collapsing at home in East Hendred, Oxfordshire.

His widow, Jennifer, and their children, Edward, Charles and Cynthia, were among the last into the village's church before the noon service. Charles paid tribute to his father's "enormous" generosity, revealing he was negotiating the purchase of a grand piano for a grandchild just before his death.

"He was not a toff," he said. "He was particularly happy eating a large slice of white bread and butter.

"He tried hard to make us happy. One freezing Christmas he waded out into the centre of the Round Pond at Kensington Gardens to rescue my broken clockwork liner." He said his father was always keen to widen his children's minds: "We had discussions about capital punishment or divorce instead of television or football." Mr Jenkins concluded: "Ultimately, he loved Europe and ... that is why I end by saying adieu."

John Drury, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, said the world admired Lord Jenkins for the "incalculably humanising, civilising, liberating and enlarging effects of his activity as statesman and the vivacious wisdom of his contemplation of history in his books".

The 30-minute service was led by the Rev Ernest Adley, rector of St Augustine's at East Hendred. The burial was in the village cemetery.