Glenys Kinnock, the senior Labour politician and wife of the former leader Neil Kinnock, has died aged 79.
In a statement on Sunday, her family said: “It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Glenys Kinnock. Glenys died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of Sunday morning at home in London. She was the beloved wife and life partner of Neil, the cherished mother of Steve and Rachel and an adored grandmother.”
Kinnock was a member of the European parliament for 15 years, representing Wales from 1994. In 2009, Gordon Brown appointed her as Europe minister and gave her a life peerage to enable her to join the government.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
I suddenly thought I might throw my hat in the ring for the South Wales East European constituency and from then on that was the decision I made, I never looked back and I’m glad I didn’t.”
Her 15-year stint as an MEP came to an end when Brown asked her to replace Caroline Flint as a minister in the Foreign Office, giving her the title Lady Kinnock of Holyhead to do so.
Her family said on Sunday: “As long as she could, she sustained her merriment and endless capacity for love, never complaining and with the innate courage with which she had confronted every challenge throughout her life.”
She supported Neil through his leadership and went on to have an impressive political career of her own as a member of the European parliament, in the House of Lords and as a minister in the last Labour government, focused on Europe and Africa.”
Whether in fighting the cause of development, and the eradication of global poverty, social justice in Britain, equality for women or making the case for a European Union of weight and influence in the world, Glenys was passionate and persuasive.”
Gordon Brown, Blair’s successor in Downing Street, spoke of his and his wife Sarah’s sadness following Kinnock’s death.
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