Ex-Labour leader Neil Kinnock's wife Glenys dies aged 79
03.12.2023 - 14:13
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock's wife Glenys has died aged 79.
Ex-minister, MEP and baroness Glenys Kinnock died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, her family said in a statement.
She served as an MEP between 1994 and 2009.
Glenys joined the House of Lords in 2009, serving as Minister of State for Europe from June to October 2009 and Minister of State for Africa and the United Nations from 2009 to 2010.
She retired from the Lords in 2021.
Neil was Labour leader from 1983 to 1992. He led the party in the 1987 and 1992 elections.
Their son, Stephen, is currently an MP and is shadow immigration minister
The family said they were “devastated” by her death. Labour leader Keir Starmer called her a “true fighter” for the party as he paid tribute to her life and career.
In a statement, 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.
“Neil was with her in her final moments. They had been married for 56 years.
“A proud democratic socialist, she campaigned, in Britain and internationally, for justice and against poverty all her life.
“Passionate to the end about education, she was a valued and respected school teacher before she began her own political career, as a Member of the European Parliament, then being made a peer in the House of Lords from where she served as minister for three of the great passions of her life, Europe, Africa and the UN.
“She was a great friend to many people and causes and was truly loved.
“Glenys endured Alzheimer’s after being diagnosed in 2017 and, as