Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer has led tributes to Baroness Glenys Kinnock who died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday (December 3).
Baroness Kinnock died with her husband and former Labour Party leader Lord Neil Kinnock by her side, her family said.
She served as a minister in Sir Tony Blair’s Labour government and also represented Wales in the European Parliament as an MEP.
Her family, which includes Labour MP Stephen Kinnock and daughter Rachel, said they were “devastated” by her death.
In a statement to PA news agency, her family said: “It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Glenys Kinnock.
“Glenys died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of Sunday morning, at home in London.
“She was the beloved wife and life partner of Neil, the cherished mother of Steve and Rachel and an adored grandmother.
“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.”
Sir Keir Starmer pays tribute to Baroness Glenys Kinnock
Labour is once again the party of working people - their priorities, their concerns, their dreams.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 3, 2023
If you believe that Britain needs change to get back to greatness, this changed Labour Party stands ready to deliver for you.https://t.co/oZP5MvBvvo
Starmer called her a “true fighter” for the party as he paid tribute to her life and career.
He said: “On behalf of the whole Labour Party, I want to pay tribute to Glenys Kinnock on the sad news of her passing.
“Glenys was a passionate lifelong campaigner for social justice at home and abroad.
“She supported Neil through his leadership and went on to have an impressive political career of her own as a member of the European Parliament, in the House of Lords and as a minister in the last Labour government, focused on Europe and Africa.
“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. As the family have detailed, in recent years that meant looking after Glenys as Alzheimer’s did its worst.
“But what we will all remember is Glenys as a true fighter for the Labour Party and the values of the labour movement, a pioneering woman, to whom we owe an enormous debt. My sincere condolences to Neil, Stephen, Rachel and all the family at this sad time.”
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