Stephen Kinnock

Stephen Kinnock
Born	Stephen Nathan Kinnock 1 January 1970 Tredegar, United Kingdom
Alma mater	Queens' College, Cambridge, College of Europe
Parents	• Neil Kinnock • Glenys Parry
Children	2
Spouse	Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Member of	Labour Renaissance
Party	Labour
Married to the former Prime Minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt  Labour MP for Aberavon In office 7 May 2015 - Present Employer UK  Member of Parliament for Aberavon In office 8 May 2015 - Present Preceded by Nick Harvey, John Thurso  Spouse of the Prime Minister of Denmark In office 3 October 2011 - 28 June 2015

(L to R) daughter Johanna, wife Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Stephen Kinnock, dad Neil Kinnock and mum Glenys Kinnock

Stephen Nathan Kinnock (born 1 January 1970) is a British Labour Party politician who was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberavon at the United Kingdom General Election on 7 May 2015.

Stephen Kinnock, son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock romped home to victory in the Aberavon constituency in south Wales - beating nearest rivals the Tories by more than 10,000 votes. The 45-year-old beamed with delight after hearing the news in Neath Sports Centre and hugged wife Helle Thorning-Schmidt who, until 18 June 2015, was Prime Minister of Denmark. Kinnock said he was proud to be following in his father's footsteps in becoming an MP - but wanted to be known for his own achievements. In a pre-election interview with the Daily Mirror, he described himself as "a socialist, a democratic socialist”, and voiced his support for trade unions and collective bargaining. He comes from a political dynasty – along with his father, his sister Rachel works for Ed Miliband and his mother Glenys was a Labour MEP.

And he insisted being married to the Danish leader would not distract him from his duties as MP:

“I will be a Westminster MP from Monday to Thursday and in my constituency on the weekend. We'll have to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in next week,” he said. “If we are in Opposition, that's what we'll have to do."

On 3 June 2015, in a parliamentary debate on devolution watched by his father Neil and mother Glenys, Stephen Kinnock made his maiden speech in the House of Commons:

"I was born about 30 miles to the north east of Aberavon, in Tredegar, as was my father. My mother is of course from another country altogether known as north Wales They have always worked tirelessly to combat injustice and their dedication to public service has inspired me throughout my life."

Stephen Kinnock said he saw himself as "a global Welshman", having lived in many exotic lands, including England:

"I believe Wales is a nation with the ability to punch far above its weight and I hope that I will have an opportunity to contribute to that worthy cause."

Career

After attending Drayton Manor High School, and having achieved a degree in Modern Languages from Queens' College, Cambridge, Stephen Kinnock won a scholarship to study at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, where he met fellow student Helle and gained an MA. Kinnock worked as a research assistant at the European Parliament in Brussels before becoming a British Council Development and Training Services executive based in Brussels from 1997.

Following the closure, imposed by the Russian authorities, of the of the British Council's St Petersburg office, Kinnock took up a position with the British Council in Sierra Leone.

From January 2009 he was employed by the World Economic Forum based in Geneva, Switzerland, as director, head of Europe and Central Asia.

Business adviser

In August 2012 Kinnock took up a position at Xyntéo in London, a business advisory company that helps global businesses go beyond the green basics and reinvent the way they grow. Kinnock is managing director of the "Global Leadership and Technology Exchange", a partnership which aims to bring together some of the world's leading businesses to discuss and act upon routes that can be taken to bring about resource-efficient growth.

Labour candidate

In March 2014 it was announced that Stephen Kinnock had been selected as the Labour Party candidate for the seat of Aberavon in Wales for the General Election of 2015.

He has been referred to as a "red prince", being one of several sons of senior Labour Party figures to have been selected for safe seats.

On 7 May 2015 he was elected MP for Aberavon in South Wales with a majority of 10,445.

Personal life

Stephen Kinnock was born in Tredegar, the son of Welsh politicians Glenys and Neil Kinnock. He has been married to former Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt since 1996. The couple have two daughters Johanna and Camilla.

In June 2010, the Danish tabloid B.T. accused Kinnock of tax evasion. At that time he was paying tax in Switzerland where his workplace was situated, and therefore had his main residence there, although his wife's political website states that "The family lives in Østerbro in Copenhagen". The couple had previously stated to the media that Kinnock would spend his weekends in Denmark, sometimes including Thursday, and that he regarded his home and base as being exclusively with his family in Copenhagen. According to the tabloid, he would possibly exceed 183 days a year in Denmark, meaning he would be fully taxable there.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt repudiated the accusations but said the couple would ask the Danish tax authority for an audit. The audit by the Danish Tax & Customs Administration (SKAT) was concluded on 17 September 2010, and in its Official Report SKAT stated that "Mr Kinnock does not have tax liability for 2007, 08, or 09, as he does not reside in this country within the meaning of the Danish Tax at Sources Act".

References

This page imported content from Wikipedia on 11 May 2015.
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