Stephen Kinnock

Stephen Kinnock (born 1970 [ [http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=19585 "British Council Chief Imparts Value of Internationalism"] , The St. Petersburg Times 28 Nov 2006] ) is the assistant director, until September 2008 [da icon [http://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/politik/article1012516.ece Helle Thornings mand til krise-zone] , Ekstra Bladet 27 May 2008] , of the British Council in Sierra Leone. [ [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080320/debtext/80320-0011.htm Daily Hansard] (end of column 1128), House of Commons Publications and Reports 20 Mar 2008] He is the son of Neil Kinnock, chairman of the British Council and former leader of the Labour Party, and Glenys Kinnock, Member of the European Parliament. He is married to the leader of the Danish Social Democrat party, Helle Thorning-Schmidt.

Detention by Russian police

On 16 January 2008, when he was director of the British Council in St Petersburg, Russia, Kinnock was stopped by Russian police on suspicion of drunk driving, a move that British officials believe to be part of a campaign of intimidation against the British Council and its staff in Russia following the fallout over the Alexander Litvinenko poisoning. [ [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/01/16/uk-condemns-kinnock-son-arrest-91466-20356989/ "UK condemns Kinnock son arrest"] , WalesOnline 16 Jan 2008] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7191411.stm "Russia warned over 'intimidation'"] , BBC News 16 Jan 2008] He was detained for an hour before being released.

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