Neil Kinnock was born in Tredegar in 1942. His father was a steel worker and former collier, his mother a nurse. He graduated from University College Cardiff and became a tutor organiser for the Worker’s Education Association in South Wales.

He was elected to the House of Commons as MP for Bedwellty (later Islywn) in 1970. He was elected to the Labour Party National Executive in1978 and appointed Chief Education Spokesman of the Labour Party in 1979.

In 1983 he was elected Labour Party Leader and leader of HM Opposition. He stepped down from the Party leadership in 1992 and in 1995 was appointed to the European Commission.

He was European Commissioner for Transport from 1995-1999 and, from 1999-2004, Vice-President of the Commission. He was made a member of the House of Lords in 2005 as Lord Kinnock of Bedwellty.

He has been President of Cardiff University since 1998 and Chair of the British Council since December 2004.

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