Baroness Glenys Kinnock, a former minister, MEP and wife of ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday. PA
Baroness Glenys Kinnock, a former minister, MEP and wife of ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday. PA
Baroness Glenys Kinnock, a former minister, MEP and wife of ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday. PA
Baroness Glenys Kinnock, a former minister, MEP and wife of ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday. PA

Former Labour minister and MEP Glenys Kinnock dies aged 79


Matthew Davies
  • English
  • Arabic

Former minister and British MEP Baroness Glenys Kinnock has died at the age of 79.

She died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday with her husband and former Labour Party leader Lord Kinnock by her side, her family said.

Mrs Kinnock served as a minister in Tony Blair's Labour government and also represented Wales in the European Parliament as an MEP.

She represented Wales in the European parliament from 1994 to 2009, after which she was appointed Minister of State for Europe. Following that she served as Minister of State for Africa and the United Nations.

In the cabinet reshuffle of 2009, she was made a life peer in order that she could join the government as Minister for Europe.

Because Neil Kinnock had been made a life peer in 2005, they became one of the few couples in British politics to hold life peerages in their own right.

Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock with his wife Glenys and son Stephen Kinnock. Glenys, a former minister, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday. PA
Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock with his wife Glenys and son Stephen Kinnock. Glenys, a former minister, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday. PA

Her family, which includes Labour MP Stephen Kinnock and daughter Rachel, said they were "devastated" by her death.

Labour leader Keir Starmer called her a "true fighter" for the party as he paid tribute to her life and career.

She was educated at Holyhead High School in Anglesey and later graduated from University College, Cardiff, in education and history.

It was at university that she met her future husband and they were married in 1967.

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Country-size land deals

US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:

Louisiana Purchase

If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.

Florida Purchase Treaty

The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty. 

Alaska purchase

America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of  Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".

The Philippines

At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million. 

US Virgin Islands

It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.

Gwadar

The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees. 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

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The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

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Updated: December 03, 2023, 2:38 PM`