The Columbia Encyclopedia: Sixth Edition. 2000.
Kinnock, Neil Gordon
(k n´ k) (KEY) , 1942–, British politician, b. Tredegar, Wales. The son of a miner, he studied at University College, Cardiff. In 1970 he was elected to Parliament as a Labour party member. After Labour’s defeat in the 1979 elections, he became party education spokesperson. He became party leader after Labour’s overwhelming defeat in the 1983 elections. A gifted orator, Kinnock persuaded the party to abandon some of its traditional left-wing positions, such as unilateral disarmament and widespread nationalization, and adopt more moderate policies. In 1992, the Conservatives again defeated Labour in a national election in which the electorate’s questioning of Kinnock’s ability to lead the nation was a major factor. After this loss, he resigned the party leadership. Since 1995 he has served on the European Union’s European Commission, becoming its vice president in 1999. | 1 |
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See R. Harris, The Making of Neil Kinnock (1984). | 2 |
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