Neil Kinnock

From Philosopedia

Kinnock, Neil [Rt. Honorable] (28 March 1942— )

British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock was born in Tredegar, Wales. His father was a miner and his mother a nurse. Neil attended the University College, Cardiff, where he met his wife, Glenys, who became a Labour MP.

Kinnock was elected to Parliament with the Labour Party at age 28 and became party leader by 1983. From 1979 to 1983, he was chief Opposition Spokesman on Education. He resigned in 1992 after his party's national defeat.

In 1995, Kinnock became the European Union's European Commissioner, then Vice-President (1999-2004). In 2005, Kinnock was introduced into the House of Lords as Baron Kinnock of Bedwelty, which he accepted "for practical political reasons."

In 1986, he wrote Making Our Way.

According to the Greater Manchester Humanists Group meeting notes (June 11, 1997), Kinnock is an agnostic. The Humanists questioned whether his agnosticism had been used against him politically.

{CA; E; FFRF; New Humanist, September 1996}