Neil Kinnock at 80: Supporting wife through Alzheimer’s

Former Labor leader Neil Kinnock has spoken of the importance of supporting his wife who has Alzheimer’s.

Glenys Kinnock, a lifelong socialist activist, was “not just a rock but a continent of rocks” to the peer, he said.

“I don’t see it as payback, but if I did I’ve got a heck of a lot more work to do,” Lord Kinnock said in an interview marking his 80th birthday.

His family has been “fundamental” to him throughout his career, he said.

“That’s an understatement. I was very fortunate to have the family that raised me,” Lord Kinnock said in the wide-ranging interview, in which he also shared his views on the current state of the Labor Party and decentralization in Wales.

His grandparents are “great” and aunts and uncles are “friends of death” and always on the alert with advice and jokes, he said.

But Ms Kinnock, a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has always been there for him, particularly during the nine years he has led the Labor Party, he said. Being there for her now “helps,” he said.

“She’s obviously frustrated, terribly at times.”

Although the disease is irreversible, his wife nonetheless remained outwardly focused and good company, Lord Kinnock said.

“The great thing about Glenys is that she has kept her happiness.”

‘think again’

Lord Kinnock succeeded Michael Foot as Labor leader after the party’s defeat by Margaret Thatcher in 1983. Labor won just under 28% of the vote.

He became the youngest leader in the party’s history and remained at the top until the party was defeated by John Major in the 1992 general election.

Dominating politics in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher became a divisive figure in Wales for refusing to protect the mining industry.

Lord Kinnock, who launched many attacks on the former Prime Minister during his years as opposition leader, said his opinion of her has not diminished over the years.

“I don’t think she did it out of spite. I think she did it as a lesson,” he said of the reforms she oversaw.

“And while doctrine can be useful as a navigational compass…doctrine applied ideologically and absolutistically can be very destructive.”

The peer is widely seen as instrumental in centering the party and softening its image. Under his leadership, Labor abandoned more radical positions; Their previous campaign platform included measures such as nuclear disarmament and bank nationalization.

“I knew it was going to be a very, very, very difficult job and I knew it was going to be a long job. Because there were several policy changes that needed to be made to restore Labor Party credibility,” he said.

“There were elements in the Labor Party that needed to be either won over or defeated and some expelled in order to rebuild the Labor Party’s reputation as a democratic, socialist, progressive party.”

Some people have argued that New Labor’s success built on the foundations laid by Lord Kinnock.

“But if I had really known how long it was going to be … and the idea that it was going to stretch out over nine years and then end in a narrow loss, I probably would have thought twice,” he said.

“reputation repair”

After spearheading the fight against left-wing extremism in the Labor Party in the 1980s, Lord Kinnock said the departure of Jeremy Corbyn after the 2019 election defeat was “a significant boon”.

Lord Kinnock had urged Mr Corbyn to “do his duty” and step down in 2016.

“Restoring Labor’s reputation as a rational, patriotic party offering a serious alternative government is well under way. But of course it’s a detour that we should never have taken,” he said.

“We’re in a much better shape than we were in 2019.”

Keir Starmer, he added, was also key to achieving that position.

“He has the high intelligence and critical maturity, the sheer adulthood, that in terms of political leadership provides such a stark contrast to the man who is Prime Minister. That will certainly be attractive.”

Separatism “not the answer”

With pro-independence groups in Wales experiencing rapid membership growth, Lord Kinnock said he fully understands and in many ways shares people’s frustration and resentment.

But separation from the rest of the UK is “not the answer,” he said.

“We would be exposing ourselves to the most appalling economic catastrophe. In the end it’s economic stupidity,” said Lord Kinnock.

“We must fundamentally respect the stability, security and prosperity of the people of Wales.”

Political changes would have to come from London first and not through a split.

“Wales thrives when we look outward. We fall into depression and disadvantage when we are forced to look within. We really need the influx of investment and modern jobs.”

“These are really dark times for the world and for our country,” he said, citing Brexit, the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate change.

But despite major crises to be overcome around the world and in the UK, he remained “a kind of optimist” at 80.