When Neil Kinnock became Labour's leader in 1983, the party was at its lowest ebb since the war. Internal wrangling, problems of presentation and personality, as well as a formidable foe in Margaret Thatcher conspired to keep Labour out of office for another 14 years. In that time, however, the party was transformed, and the changes began under Neil Kinnock. Modernizers from Tony Blair to Philip Gould have paid tribute to his vital role in vanquishing the "loony left" and moving the party to the center ground, and Kinnock's post-Labour career at the European Commission has won him new respect and made him a key player.