Neil Kinnock an absolute disaster as a politician and a man.
Glenys, gets a safe NuLabour European Assembly seat at the first time of asking, and like her husband has achieved absolutely nothing that can be recalled.
The family all helped upon the taxpayer funded gravy-train via the widely practiced political nepotism.
Mr Kinnock Jr's wife is also employed by Brussels, how convenient.
Will the Russians please arrest the entire family, jail them and throw away the key.

Glenn - Brit ex-pat, Auckland, nz

Its not what you know but who you know, or rather who your relatives are!! Labour snouts in the trough springs to mind!

cynical, Leicester,

What a coincidence. Dad runs the Council. Son gets a top job. I wonder what Mum does?

What happened to decency? Blair was well trained.

Old Labour, Kuwait, Kuwait

What's Kinnock Jnr's salary, I wonder? Was the post advertised? What is his qualification for the post?
This is fascinating. I suspect this story will be as big as Peter Hain's forgetfulness.

John Austin, London , England

Can anyone explain why we would want to promote English culture abroad but destroy it at source?

Pascal Nuwonk, epping, uk

Why is the British taxpayer paying for Russians to learn English?

michael clarke, london, ulk

I have been to St Petersburg - and remember seeing a car plough into the pavement sending people flying. I am with
the police on this one - zero tolerance of drink and driving.
British Council has been closing libraries all over the rest
of the world - see: http://www.saveourbritishlibrary.org/ so
I take their "protests" in Russia with a huge pinch of salt.
Perhaps they should have paid their taxes on time too if
they had seriously wanted to build good cultural relations.

neil robertson, Dundee, Sctoland (UK)

So the Labour party gravy train rolls on with nepotism to add to its list of sins.

Neil McAllister, Chessington, Surrey

As the Kinnock's wanted us all under the Russian empire back in the 70's. lets hope his son enjoys some Soviet hospitality. before he hops back on the gravy train with the rest of the Kinnock's.

Ashley, London,

Stephen Kinnock looks like a spotty version of Vladimir Putin.

Mirror Image, London,

Here, here. I fully endorse Oleg's view, as expressed in his last sentence - Russia has more than enough nepotism of it's own!

John, Norwich, UK

I suspect Tim that British Council were also aware that his
father was a European Commissioner when they employ
Stephen Kinnock in the British Council Development and
Training Services commercial consultancy division as the
Council's man in Brussels prior to his St Petersburg post.

neil robertson, Dundee, Sctoland (UK)

Oleg's diatribe evinces a blindly arrogant nationalism peculiar to the Russian character. They maintain, against all evidence to the contrary, that their country can do no wrong and seem to believe that if they say it loudly enough, it will be true.
A far more likely explanation for the reported events is that, due to continued frictions between the Russian and British governments, the boy was stopped for an action which was not a crime yesterday and will not be tomorrow.
His alcohol test came up negative and therefore it was reported that he refused one.
The fact that he was out of the police station within half an hour further confirms the proposition that the accusations of the Russian police have no basis in fact.
Allegations of nepotism constitute no more than ad hominem attacks whose sole purpose is to divert attention from the measures to which the Russian government is willing to descend..

Joe, Kingston, Canada

I bet those who made the negative comments about Stephen Kinnock have never been to Russia, where the traffic police make up the rules as they go along. All they are interested in is getting a pay off from the unfortunate driver they have pulled over, particularly if that person is a foreigner. I speak from experience!

Eve, Dublin, Ireland

So little Kinnock has been drunk driving in Russia. Great, that'll really help solve the problem. Lucky he didn't kill anyone.

ROn Willis, Cambridge,

Oleg

Hearing a Russian hold the high ground about nepotism in Britain, a very very close relative of corruption, bribery, robbery etc, not to mention a host of other virtues) is as ridiculous as expecting black African students to walk in safety in Russian streets at night, democracy and the rule of law to take root in Russia under Vladimir Putin and the several hundred thousand Russians who live in the UK (as well as Oleg in Canada) to return to their beloved Russia permanently. As for the Britons who apparently think their country is a cesspit of bribery and corruption, I fervently invite you to pay Russia a visit and live there for 6 months with ordinary Russian people, including at least two months in an ordinary Russian town outside of Moscow. You will be apalled at the sheer dreariness of life and dream of England every night. And by the way, I am Maltese, not British. Apologies for assuming that you are Russian Oleg from Toronto

mark, Swieqi, Malta

In this situation I hope the UK does not write a check it cannot cash.

JL RONISH, seattle Washington, usa

I must admit to being surprised that Niel Kinnock is chairman of the British Council, I thought he was driver on the Kinnock Family Gravy Train.
Don
Norfolk

D E Hall, Attleborough, Norfolk

Reading Oleg's comment and listening to a blustering Russian embassy official on radio 4 yesterday, one has to wonder if there is not some sort of new secret rule that forces all Russians to talk like General Orlov from Octopussy.

James, Monteria, Colombia

I totally agree with Oleg about the nepotism factor. The irony of course is that we have a Labour government in the UK trying to drag down private schools based on spurious Charity Commission legislation it drafted and passed itself supposedly on the basis of fairness and equality of opportunity for all. Where was Stephen Kinnock's job advertised I wonder? Who was on the interview panel?Fairness in the hands of the Labour party... don't make me laugh! Let us hope that Kinnock junior benefits from Russian fairness when it comes to that country's law.. but as a socialist state itself one doubts that it will come to that... an ordinary citizen well that's another story..

Cecilia, Hemel Hempstead,

I wonder if Stephen Kinnock was aware his father was the chair of the British Council when he applied for the cushy little number in St Petersberg?

Tim, High Wycombe, Bucks

I couldnt agree more with the comment by Oleg in Toronto. What an embarassment for the ordinary person on the UK street.

Pat, chatham, uk

Oleg, Well done, you have displayed incredible ignorance and doubtless added to Britains view that your erratic and eccentric officials simply can't be trusted to properly enforce the rule of law or to accept the influence of an internationally respected organisation.

phil, EASTBOURNE, EAST SUSSEX

Your article made me laugh. After all the stern words, the whole affair has become a circus farce, and Britain plays the clown!
Perhaps British Council's teachers in Moscow will be able to explain their students the meaning of the word "nepotism". This is when Lord Kinnock, the chair of BC makes his son, Stephen Kinnock a head of one of the branches. The son gets drunk and drives around ignoring traffic code. Of course, Russia must change it for British citizens, as well as its laws and Constitution! This is simply rediculous!
I hope that Russia closes BC offices ASAP and sends back all the spoiled and corrupt sons and daughters of British "elite". And please do not preach that it brings "British culture" to Russia. Unles you call nepotism a cultural phenomena, of course. In this case Russia has more than enough of it and doesn't need any more.

Oleg, Toronto, Canada