The Papers of Neil Kinnock

Copies of speeches, statements and articles released to the press, from NK's time as Leader of the Labour Party up to 1992, then European Commissioner for Transport and Trans-European Networks and then as the Commission's Vice-President for Administrative Reform. These copies are mostly unannotated, up to 1992, but form a more complete run than the originals in 16/1. After 1992, the distinction between the original speech notes and the copies breaks down, so from then on this series includes annotated speech notes as well as press copies, often both for the same speech.

There were originally three different sets of this speech collection, two being held at NK's Labour Party office and another set kept later by his office in Brussels. In most cases, the original copy has been retained, but where a later photocopied version has annotations or corrections, this copy has been kept instead.

This series of speeches was well ordered chronologically and the main Brussels set was originally contained in lever-arch files with an index or list of speeches at the front of the file. The files relating to Kinnock's speeches made as Leader of the Opposition prior to his move to the EU were originally housed in maroon binders with indexes which appear to have been compiled as the speeches were delivered. These speeches are typewritten with the text of the speech as released to the press. The lists of speeches in the front of later files appear to have been compiled retrospectively at the point each file was completed. There is sometimes more than one draft of the EU speeches with manuscript notes in Kinnock's own hand. One set of the EU speeches, 1995-99, less complete than the main set, had blue and pink filing cards, and these were retained when the various sets were added together. Gaps in the series are noted.