Family say she died in her sleep and her husband Neil, the former Labour leader, was with her in her final moments

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

In a statement on Sunday, 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.