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Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, PC (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician. He was an MP from 1970 to 1995, and was Leader of the Opposition and Labour Party leader from 1983 to 1992, when he resigned after the 1992 general election defeat. He subsequently served as a UK Commissioner of the European Commission from 1995 until 2004, and is now Chair of the British Council. He is also President of Cardiff University.

Elected in 1970 as member for Bedwellty (later Islwyn), he became a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in 1978. Following Labour's defeat in the 1979 General Election James Callaghan appointed him to the Shadow Cabinet as Education spokesman. He was known as a left-winger, and gained renown for his outspoken attacks on Margaret Thatcher's handling of the Falklands War.

Nicknamed "the Welsh Windbag" by Private Eye magazine and "Kinocchio" by the Conservatives, he had the thankless task of leading the Labour Party during its so-called "unelectable" period. Although he was seen as very much the coming man when he succeeded Michael Foot, he had a long and difficult path to bring the party back to its pre-Thatcher position. Kinnock was responsible for many of the reforms to the party which were built upon by John Smith and Tony Blair until Labour was elected in 1997.
 

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