Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  Kinnock, Neil
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationLabour  
<-  2010-01-01  
 
NameNeil Kinnock
Address
, , United Kingdom
EmailNone
WebsiteNone
Born March 28, 1942 (82 years)
Contributor411 Name Removed
Last ModifedNew Jerusalem
Mar 28, 2011 10:55pm
Tags Welsh - Married -
InfoNeil Kinnock is a British politician. He was the leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992, when he resigned after the general election defeat. He was succeeded by John Smith.

First elected in 1970, he became a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in 1978. He was known as a left-winger, and gained renown for his outspoken attacks on Margaret Thatcher's handling of the Falklands War.

Nicknamed "the Welsh Windbag" by Private Eye magazine and "Kinocchio" by the Tories, he had the thankless task of leading the Labour Party during its so-called "unelectable" period. Although he was seen as very much the coming man when he succeeded his spectacularly unsuccessful predecessor, Michael Foot, he had a long and difficult path to bring the party back to its pre-Thatcher position. Kinnock was responsible for a lot of the early reforms to the party which were built upon by John Smith and Tony Blair until Labour was eventually re-elected in 1997.

Having inevitably lost the 1987 election, Kinnock remained party leader and was hot favourite to take over the role of prime minister in the months leading up to the 1992 election. It came as a shock to many when the Conservatives remained in power, but Kinnock himself later claimed to have half-expected it, and proceeded to turn himself into a media personality, even hosting a chat show on BBC Wales. In the 1980s he helped set up the Institute for Public Policy Research and remains on its Advisory Council.

He was appointed one of Britain's two members of the European Commission, which he served as Transport Commissioner under Commission president Jacques Santer. Following the forced resignation of the entire Santer commission by the European Parliament in 1999 for failure to adequately supervise the European Union's budget, controlling the activities of its staff, and some nepotism, he was reappointed to the Commission under new president Romano Prodi. (Kinnock himself was blameless of the Commission's failings, but the Parliament can only dismiss the Commission in toto, not individually). He is now vice-president of the European Commission.


JOB APPROVAL POLLS

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor

EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor

DISCUSSION
Importance? 7.80000 Average

FAMILY
Wife Glenys Kinnock 00, 1967-Dec 03, 2023
Son Stephen Kinnock 1970-

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  04/09/1992 UK Prime Minister Lost 41.63% (-9.98%)
  04/09/1992 UK Parliament - Islwyn Won 74.31% (+59.45%)
  10/18/1988 Labour Party - Leader Won 88.60% (+77.20%)
  06/11/1987 UK Parliament - Islwyn Won 71.30% (+56.61%)
  06/11/1987 UK Prime Minister Lost 35.23% (-22.62%)
  10/02/1983 Labour Party - Leader Won 71.30% (+52.00%)
  10/02/1983 UK Leader of the Opposition Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  06/09/1983 UK Parliament - Islwyn Won 59.34% (+36.80%)
  11/19/1981 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet Election Won 5.94% (-1.46%)
  12/04/1980 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet Election Won 6.49% (-0.19%)
  05/03/1979 UK Parliament - Bedwellty Won 71.35% (+50.64%)
  10/10/1974 UK Parliament - Bedwellty Won 70.88% (+59.10%)
  02/28/1974 UK Parliament - Bedwellty Won 67.06% (+54.42%)
  06/18/1970 UK Parliament - Bedwellty Won 74.56% (+59.16%)
ENDORSEMENTS
Welsh Labour Party Leader - Mar 14, 2024 LAB Vaughan Gething
UK EU Membership Referendum - Jun 23, 2016 YES Remain
London Mayor - LAB Selection - Aug 04, 2015 LAB Sadiq Khan
UK Alternative Vote Referendum - May 05, 2011 YES Yes
London Mayor - LAB Selection - Sep 24, 2010 LAB Oona King
UK Labour Party - Leadership - Sep 22, 2010 LAB Ed Miliband