Neil Kinnock – born in Tredegar, South Wales, 1942 – has been among the most influential and well-known names in the Labour movement for over 40 years. Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992, Kinnock was credited with modernising the Labour Party, expelling militant tendencies and shifting towards a more centrist, delivery-driven approach, famously giving his 1985 Labour Conference speech commenting on such topics. Though having not won the office of the Prime Minister, many consider him the best or most notable PM that never was, a figure against the politics that the Thatcher government stood for, having most notably lost the 1992 election to John Major’s Conservatives by a slim margin.
Following his career at the party’s top, Kinnock served as a European Commissioner, where he served as Vice President for some of his time on the commission. He became a life peer in 2005 and remains an influential elder statesman known for his eloquent oratory, Welsh identity, as well as his advocacy for social democracy and European cooperation. Before the high-flying careers in London and Brussels, Kinnock was already a well-known face on campus around Cardiff.
While studying industrial relations and history at Cardiff (called the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire at the time), he was active in student politics and the Labour Students movement and served as president of the Students Union. While studying here, he met his wife, Glenys Kinnock (nee Parry), who went on to be a Labour politician and an MEP. Taking the Great Western Railway service to London Paddington and the Circle Line to Westminster, Gair Rhydd Editor-in-Chief, James Roberts, Cardiff Union TV group members, and I arrived to interview the man.
From the red leather sofas to the old wooden beams to the stained-glass panels, entering the House of Lords up to his office was a process of walking through procedure, history, and symbols of British politics which have stood for centuries. Sitting across the man discussing topics from his days in Cardiff or as Labour Leader, to devolution and the political identity of the UK, in an office packed with books and comic drawings, was an opportunity that felt quite surreal in the moments of pause. After concluding the filmed interview, he continued his generosity with his time, showing us around different halls of the buildings, explaining history and telling stories.
This Welsh man’s significance and impact on politics were felt on the day and can be read about in this edition’s feature piece and watched on CUTV.