'A true fighter for Labour': Glenys Kinnock dies at 79

Glenys Kinnock, the senior Labour politician and wife of the former leader Neil Kinnock, has died aged 79.

- Kiran Stacey

In a statement yesterday, 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."

Kinnock was a member of the European parliament for 15 years, representing Wales from 1994. In 2009, Gordon Brown appointed her as Europe minister and gave her a life peerage to enable her to join the government.

She met her husband, Neil, at university and married him in 1967. They had two children: Stephen, who is now a Labour MP and shadow minister, and Rachel, who previously worked for the party.

Kinnock appeared regularly by her husband's side during his unsuccessful general election campaign in 1992, after which she decided to enter elected politics herself.