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The Papers of Neil Kinnock

 Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0014/KNNK

Scope and Contents

The collection contains Kinnock's papers as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, 1983-92, and also from his work for the European Commission, 1995-2004.

The papers include political papers (mainly relating to Kinnock's leadership of the Labour Party), engagements diaries and visits papers, copies of his speeches and public statements, constituency correspondence, photographs and some audio-visual material.

Dates

  • Creation: 1947 - 2008

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers wishing to publish excerpts from the papers must obtain prior permission from the copyright holders and should seek advice from Archives Centre staff.

Biographical / Historical

Kinnock was born in March 1942, the son of Gordon Kinnock, labourer, and Mary Kinnock (née Howells), nurse. He was educated at University College, Cardiff, 1963-7, and married Glenys Elizabeth Parry in 1967.

Kinnock was a Tutor Organiser in Industrial and Trade Union Studies, Workers' Educational Association, 1966-70; Member, Welsh Hospital Board, 1969-71. He served as Labour MP for Bedwellty, 1970-83 (later Islwyn), 1983-95. He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Employment, 1974-75, and Chief Opposition spokesman on Education, 1979-83.

Kinnock was Leader of the Labour Party, while Labour was in Opposition, from 1983 to 1992, and fought two unsuccessful General Election campaigns in 1987 and 1992 as Party Leader. He was also a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee, 1978-94 (Chairman, 1987-88) and the Parliamentary Committee of the Parliamentary Labour Party, 1979-92. Following his resignation as Leader after the loss of the 1992 General Election, he became Chairman of Labour's International Committee, 1993-94. He was elected to the European Commission in 1995, first as Commissioner for Transport and Trans-European Networks, then served as Vice-President for Administrative Reform, 1999-2004. He later became chairman of the British Council from 2004-09. He was made a life peer in 2005.

His publications include "Making Our Way", 1986, and "Thorns and Roses", 1992.

Extent

872 archive box(es)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

As virtually no original order remained in the archive, with loose papers from various sources within Kinnock's office put into boxes more or less randomly, a completely new arrangement was given to the archive on cataloguing. The core Labour Party material (on modernisation, general strategy etc) was separated from the various policy areas, which were arranged by ministerial portfolio. Then further series were made for correspondence, elections, speeches, visits etc. As the majority of the archive was available to readers in its disordered state for some years before cataloguing, the original box numbers have been noted for each file as the former reference code.

Other Finding Aids

A copy of this finding aid is available for consultation at Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge and the National Register of Archives, London.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers have been transferred to Churchill Archives Centre from Lord Kinnock's office at various dates since 1992

Related Materials

See also the papers of Christopher Child, who was a member of Kinnock's Private Office, at GBR/ 0014/CHLD and also the papers of Kinnock's policy adviser John Newbigin, GBR/0014/NEWB.

Related Materials

See also constituency papers at the National Library of Wales and Gwent Archives. The Labour History Archive and Study Centre is based at the People's History Museum, Manchester.

General

This collection (fonds) level description was prepared by Andrew Riley of Churchill Archives Centre in May 2003. The catalogue was completed by Katharine Thomson in July 2011.

Date information

DateText: The majority of folios date from 1983-2004.

Originator(s)

Kinnock, Neil Gordon, b 1942, Baron Kinnock of Bedwellty, Labour politician

Subject

Date
2003-06-13 10:08:12+00:00
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Churchill Archives Centre Repository

Contact:
Churchill Archives Centre
Churchill College
Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0DS United Kingdom
+44 (0)1223 336087