Glenys, the rock behind Neil Kinnock, dies aged 79
GLENYS Kinnock – described as ‘not just a rock, but a continent of rocks’ by her husband – has died aged 79.
Lord Kinnock, 81, the former Labour leader, was by her side during her final moments at their home in London, the family said.
His wife, a former MEP and minister for Europe in the New Labour government, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease six years ago. She passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of yesterday.
Only last year Lord Kinnock, party leader from 1983-92, spoke of the importance of supporting his wife following her diagnosis with the brain disease.
Yesterday, in a statement announcing her passing, the Kinnock family said: ‘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.’ The family, which includes son Stephen Kinnock, the Labour MP for Aberavon, and daughter Rachel, said they were ‘devastated’.
Mr Kinnock, who serves as the party’s immigration spokesman, said he was ‘heartbroken’ and called his mother ‘ a truly formidable person in every single way’.
Many will doubtless recall one of her most visible displays of support. This was when she helped her husband back to his feet in October 1983 after he got a soaking on Brighton beach as he fell at the sea’s edge when a wave came in while posing for photographers.
Baroness Kinnock worked as a school teacher before becoming an MEP, representing Wales for 15 years, but this was not without controversy. In 2004, she was caught up in an expenses scandal in which she was one of scores of MEPs who allegedly signed in at the European Parliament to qualify for the £175 daily allowance and then left.
She once had the unenviable reputation as ‘the most travelled British MEP’ and, along with her husband, also acquired the title as Brussels’ ‘very own Lord and Lady Expenses’.
After leaving Brussels in 2009 to take up a life peerage, she was appointed minister for Europe by then prime minister Gordon Brown.
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead also served as minister with responsibility for Africa, the Caribbean, Central America and the UN.
In their statement yesterday, the family added: ‘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 long as she could, sustained her merriment and endless capacity for love, never complaining and with the innate courage with which she had confronted every challenge throughout her life.’
Paying tribute, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called her a ‘true fighter’ for the party.
He added: ‘Neil and Glenys had the most wonderful partnership, there for each other through thick and thin, with a love and commitment that was instantly obvious when you saw them together.’
Sir Tony Blair, who led Labour from 1994 and 2007, said: ‘She was of course an enormous support to Neil but she was a leader in her own right. And as a couple, they were a joy to be near, full of fun – the life and soul of any gathering.’
Mr Brown said: ‘All who met Glenys admired her for her generosity, her warmth and her passionate support for the best of national and international causes.’
Funeral details will be announced later, said the Kinnock family.
‘Great friend to many people and causes’