The Rt. Hon. Lord Kinnock
Neil Kinnock was Leader of the Opposition and of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992. He was elected to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in 1978, and joined the Shadow Cabinet a year later as Education Spokesman.
Following the Party's defeat in 1983, he was elected to succeed Michael Foot as Leader, a position he held for nine years, leading the Party at two General Elections and bringing it close to victory in 1992.
After standing down from the Leadership in 1992, he served as one of Britain's European Commissioners between 1995 and 2004, becoming Vice-President of the Commission. He was Chairman of the British Council from 2004 to 2009, and joined the House of Lords in 2005 as Lord Kinnock of Bedwellty. He was appointed as an Honorary President in October 2008.
