Neil Kinnock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Kinnock
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Official portrait, 1995
|
|
| Vice-President of the European Commission | |
| In office 16 September 1999 – 21 November 2004 Serving with Loyola de Palacio
|
|
| President | Romano Prodi |
| European Commissioner for Administrative Reform | |
| In office 16 September 1999 – 21 November 2004 |
|
| President | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Erkki Liikanen |
| Succeeded by | Siim Kallas |
| European Commissioner for Transport | |
| In office 16 February 1995 – 16 September 1999 |
|
| President | Jacques Santer Manuel Marín (acting) |
| Preceded by | Karel Van Miert |
| Succeeded by | Loyola de Palacio |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 2 October 1983 – 18 July 1992 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher John Major |
| Preceded by | Michael Foot |
| Succeeded by | John Smith |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 2 October 1983 – 18 July 1992 |
|
| Deputy | Roy Hattersley |
| Preceded by | Michael Foot |
| Succeeded by | John Smith |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science | |
| In office 14 July 1979 – 2 October 1983 |
|
| Leader | James Callaghan Michael Foot |
| Preceded by | Gordon Oakes |
| Succeeded by | Giles Radice |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Life peerage 28 January 2005 |
|
| Member of Parliament for Islwyn Bedwellty (1970–1983) |
|
| In office 18 June 1970 – 20 January 1995 |
|
| Preceded by | Harold Finch |
| Succeeded by | Don Touhig |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Neil Gordon Kinnock
28 March 1942 Tredegar, Wales |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, including Stephen |
| Alma mater | Cardiff University |
| Signature |  |
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a Welsh politician. He was the leader of the Labour Party and the Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1992. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1970 to 1995. Later, he served as Vice-President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.
Born and raised in South Wales, Kinnock was first elected to the House of Commons in 1970. After the Conservatives won the 1979 election, he became the Labour Party's shadow education minister. In 1983, after Labour lost another election, Kinnock was chosen to lead the party. As leader, he worked to move the Labour Party towards the political middle. He also disagreed with some of the tactics used during the 1984–1985 miners' strike.
Kinnock led the Labour Party through most of Margaret Thatcher's time as Prime Minister. In the 1987 election, Labour gained seats, and Kinnock remained Leader of the Opposition. However, in the 1992 election, Labour lost again, even though many polls suggested they might win. After this defeat, he resigned as leader. In 1995, he left the House of Commons to become a European Commissioner. In 2005, he became a member of the House of Lords as Baron Kinnock.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Neil Kinnock was born in Tredegar, Wales, on 28 March 1942. He was an only child. His father, Gordon Herbert Kinnock, was a former coal miner who later worked as a labourer. His mother, Mary Kinnock, was a district nurse.
In 1953, at age eleven, Kinnock started his secondary education at Lewis School, Pengam. He then went to Cardiff University, where he studied Industrial Relations and History, graduating in 1965. The next year, he earned a postgraduate diploma in education. Before becoming an MP, he worked as a tutor for the Workers' Educational Association (WEA).
In 1967, he married Glenys Kinnock. They had two children: Stephen, who is now a Labour MP, and Rachel. Glenys passed away in December 2023.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In June 1969, Neil Kinnock was chosen to represent the Labour Party for the Bedwellty area in South Wales. This area later became Islwyn in 1983. He was first elected to the House of Commons on 18 June 1970. His father told him: "Remember Neil, MP stands not just for Member of Parliament, but also for Man of Principle."
In 1975, there was a vote on whether Britain should stay in the European Communities. Kinnock campaigned for Britain to leave. After Labour lost the 1979 general election, James Callaghan made Kinnock the education spokesman for the Labour Party. He kept this role when Michael Foot became Labour leader in 1980.
Kinnock became well-known for criticizing Margaret Thatcher's actions during the Falklands War in 1982.
Leading the Labour Party
First Years as Leader (1983–1987)
_Joop_den_Uyl_(l),_Bestanddeelnr_932-9810.jpg)
After Labour's big loss in the 1983 general election, Michael Foot resigned as leader. Neil Kinnock was elected as the new Labour Party leader on 2 October 1983, winning 71% of the votes. Roy Hattersley became his deputy.
During his first years as leader, Kinnock worked to move the Labour Party to a more central position in politics. This was to improve their chances of winning future elections. He focused on making the party more modern and better at using media. He also fought against extreme left-wing groups within the party.
Kinnock also changed some of Labour's older policies, like the idea of the government owning many industries. He accepted Britain's membership in the European Economic Community, which was different from the party's previous stance.
He supported the goal of the 1984–1985 miners' strike but strongly criticized the tactics used by the union leader, Arthur Scargill. Kinnock believed these tactics led to violence and caused problems for the miners. In 1985, he publicly spoke out against some left-wing councils for their actions, saying they were "playing politics with people's jobs."
By 1986, the Labour Party seemed to be getting stronger. They had good results in local elections and updated their image with a new rose emblem. However, opinion polls showed that voters still preferred the Conservatives on issues like national defense.
The 1987 General Election
For the 1987 general election, Labour's communication team, led by Peter Mandelson, created a famous election broadcast called "Kinnock: The Movie." This video showed parts of Kinnock's speeches and images of him and his wife, Glenys, to highlight his family values and Welsh roots.
On election day, Labour came in second place, but they were still more than ten percentage points behind the Conservatives. The Conservatives kept a large majority in the House of Commons. However, Labour did gain twenty seats in the election, especially in Scotland, Wales, and Northern England.
Later Years as Leader (1987–1992)
.jpg)
After the 1987 election, Kinnock focused on changing the Labour Party's policies to make them more appealing to voters. This included a "policy review" and public consultations called "Labour Listens."
In 1988, the party created a new statement of its goals, focusing on equality rather than government ownership. Labour also dropped its policy of getting rid of Britain's nuclear weapons. These changes meant that local party groups had less power to influence policy.
In 1988, Kinnock faced a challenge for the party leadership from Tony Benn but won easily. The Labour Party's popularity grew in the polls as the "poll tax" caused problems for the Conservative government. Labour won many local elections and several special parliamentary elections in 1989 and 1990. In the 1989 European elections, Labour won 40% of the vote, their first national election win in fifteen years.
In December 1989, Kinnock changed Labour's policy on "closed shops" (where all workers must join a union). This was seen as a move away from traditional socialist policies and aimed to show that trade unions did not control the party.
When Margaret Thatcher resigned in November 1990, John Major became the new Prime Minister. Kinnock called for an immediate general election. However, Major's popularity initially caused Labour's support in the polls to drop, despite a growing economic recession.
The 1992 General Election
In the years leading up to the 1992 general election, Labour had often been ahead in opinion polls. Many polls suggested that the election, held on 9 April 1992, would result in either no party having a clear majority (a "hung parliament") or a small Labour majority.
However, the Conservatives won a majority, which surprised many. Some observers believed that a large Labour Party rally in Sheffield, and Kinnock's performance there, might have put off some voters. On election day, The Sun newspaper ran a famous headline against Kinnock. After the election, Kinnock blamed The Sun and other right-wing media for Labour's loss.
Despite the defeat, Labour made good progress, reducing the Conservative majority significantly. Kinnock later said he half-expected to lose the 1992 election. After leaving politics, he became a media personality, hosting a chat show and appearing on TV programmes.
Life After Parliament
Neil Kinnock announced he would resign as Leader of the Labour Party on 13 April 1992. John Smith was elected as his successor in July.
Kinnock was a strong supporter of Ed Miliband's campaign to become Labour leader in 2010.
European Union Commissioner
In early 1995, Kinnock was appointed one of the UK's two members of the European Commission. He served as Transport Commissioner. This meant he left the House of Commons after 25 years.
He had to resign with the rest of the Commission in 1999 but was re-appointed under a new President, Romano Prodi. He became one of the Vice-Presidents of the European Commission, responsible for administrative reform.
In February 2004, it was announced that Kinnock would become head of the British Council starting in November 2004. Around the same time, his son Stephen became head of the British Council branch in Russia.
Becoming a Life Peer
On 28 January 2005, Neil Kinnock was made a life peer as Baron Kinnock, of Bedwellty. He joined the House of Lords on 31 January 2005. He explained that he accepted the title for "practical political reasons," wanting to contribute to national discussions on topics like higher education, research, and foreign policy.
Kinnock had previously criticized the House of Lords. His decision to accept a peerage led some people to accuse him of being a hypocrite.
Political Views
Welsh Identity and Devolution
Kinnock supports devolution for Wales, which means giving more power to a Welsh Assembly. However, in 1979, he campaigned against the specific devolution plan proposed at the time. He later clarified that he supports the idea of devolution but felt the 1979 plan did not address economic differences in the UK. In 2023, he supported a new plan for expanded devolution across the UK.
Kinnock has often described himself as a "unionist," meaning he supports the United Kingdom staying together.
Brexit
Kinnock strongly opposed Brexit, which was Britain leaving the European Union. In 2018, he stated that leaving the EU would bring risks and costs. He believed that staying in the EU was important for stability, economic growth, and funding public services like the NHS.
Personal Life
Neil Kinnock met Glenys Kinnock while they were studying at Cardiff University in the early 1960s. They married on 25 March 1967. Glenys was also a politician, serving as a Labour Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and later as a UK Minister. When she became a life peer in 2009, they became one of the few couples where both held titles. They moved to London in 2008 to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren. Glenys passed away on 3 December 2023.
Their son, Stephen Kinnock, is married to Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who was the Prime Minister of Denmark from 2011 to 2015.
Neil Kinnock is a fan of Cardiff City F.C. (a football club) and also supports rugby union, especially the Wales national team.
He has been portrayed in satirical TV shows like Spitting Image. In 2014, artist Edward Sutcliffe painted a portrait of Lord Kinnock.
Kinnock has described himself as an agnostic and an atheist. He is a Patron of Humanists UK.
Images for kids
-
Neil Kinnock's signature
See also
In Spanish: Neil Kinnock para niños
