the 'kinnock factor' was named after neil kinnock, a British politician, born March 28, 1942. he was the leader of the labour Party from 1983 to 1992, when he resigned after the general election defeat. He was succeeded by John Smith.

First elected in 1970, he became a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in 1978. He was known as a left-winger, and gained renown for his outspoken attacks on margaret thatcher's handling of the Falklands War.

Nicknamed by Private Eye magazine 'the Welsh Windbag' and 'Kinocchio' by the Tories, he had the thankless task of leading the Labour Party during its so-called 'unelectable' period. Although he was seen as very much the coming man when he succeeded his spectacularly unsuccessful predecessor, Michael Foot, he had a long and difficult path to bring the party back to its pre-Thatcher position. Kinnock was responsible for a lot of the early reforms to the party which were built upon by John Smith and Tony Blair until Labour was eventually re-elected in 1997.

Having inevitably lost the 1987 election, Kinnock remained party leader and was hot favourite to take over the role of prime minister in the months leading up to the 1992 election. It came as a shock to many when the Conservatives remained in power, but Kinnock himself later claimed to have half-expected it, and proceeded to turn himself into a media personality, even hosting a chat show on b.b.c. Wales. He is now vice-president of the European Commission.the 'Kinnock factor' refers to the media's common dislike of the Welsh, and especially welsh politicians.