Heard him speak when he published one his diaries on the 80s and I was enthralled. I am Labour to my bones and wish that there were a few more with his passion and commitment in all parties.
Particularly remember when he was on Da Ali G show - he was the only guest to pull Ali up about his language, particularly calling his girlfriend his bitch. Tony challenged him straight away but managed to do it in a direct and un combative way - All the others guests played along to look cool ( as they thought).
A politician of great conviction. He's sad death in his big and expensive house will be a great loss to British politics.
For the second time in a week I'm very proud of the dignified and respectful reactions to to sad loss of a prominent left wing figure by those by those on the right. RIP Viscount Stansgate
I wrote to loads of MPs when I was at college to try and get them to attend a political debate we were having on the future of the media, this was in 1993 (we hadn't even heard of the Internet, so that shows what a waste of time it was!).
A couple of MPs responded but nobody major and then the night before I got a call from someone claiming to be Tony Benn's secretary and saying his previous appointment had been cancelled and he would be happy to attend.
Now, my best mate at college was a rabid Tory and was a superb leg-puller so I was sure it was him taking the piss but I gave the details out to the caller but was very skeptical.
Late the next afternoon I was waiting in the college reception doing the meet and greet for guests and suddenly this unmistakable voice pierced the air, "Right, where's this debate happening then?" And I was face to face with Tony Benn!
He was a fantastic guest, an absolute class act and I will never forget what he said to one young left-wing radical there (who was actually from a middle-class family in Shropshire) who started railing about how he "fucking hated the Tories" and wouldn't even talk to anyone on the right.
Benn took a long puff on his big brown pipe (no smoking ban in those days) and said, "Young man, you can't hate people just because they don't share your views, so let's have no more of that nonsense."
He went on to tell us (the discussion quickly went off track) that although he did not rate John Major (then PM) as a leader that he thought he was "a very decent man, probably a lot better than most of our lot!"
A great man and an absolute gentleman to his bones.
came from a generation of political giants compared to the pygmies of today in their beliefs and their personalities and character. the last remaining and recently called a dinosaur by Cameron is Dennis Skinner. Politics is sadder for the loss of this generation.
Benn was revered by my father and hated by my father in law - RIP
The irony is that if he had died when he was potentially powerful within the Labour Party in the early 80's I think he would have been remembered differently today.In those days he was seen as one of the main reasons the SDP split from Labour thus dividing the opposition to Thatcher.
Without any possibility of real influence or power , Tony Benn seemed to reinvent himself in latter years as a political stand up performer. As someone who was active in the moderate Labour Party factions in the 80's and opposed to Benn politically when he was at his prime, I always respected him on a personal level and he genuinely did not get involved with personalty politics.
My take was that he often asked the right questions and could be insightful but his conclusions were often way off the mark.
Has always been my political hero although I didn't always agree with everything he said. When you look today at the lowlife like Farage who grace the political arena you realise that Tony was indeed a great man and a great politician.
I spotted him at a reception I attended in the Speaker's House, after the State Opening of Parliament. I patiently waited for a chance to say hello and shake his hand, expecting a cursory nod and smile. Instead he asked me to sit down and chat to him. So, in a room full of the country's leading politicians, he spent half an hour quietly and patiently chatting to me about politics, politicians, the political system in the UK and his five great questions.
If all politicians had his conviction and his ability and willingness to give his time, we'd be in a far better place.
Privileged to hear him speak live on two occasions and while I disagree with many of his political views, he was hugely impressive as a committed democrat and as an inspirational man of great integrity, decency and passion.
I remember him urging a school teacher in the audience to tell sure her students " get involved with politics before politics gets involved with you," in the context of young kids being set off to fight in Iraq.
He makes the current crop of politicians of all parties look like a bunch of corrupt, self-serving, limp-wristed nobodies.
Has always been my political hero although I didn't always agree with everything he said. When you look today at the lowlife like Farage who grace the political arena you realise that Tony was indeed a great man and a great politician.
RIP Mr Benn.
Not really sure of the need to bash Farage in your tribute to Benn - like his political beliefs or not, Benn & Farage are very much alike - they stick to their principles and fight for them and on behalf of those who they represent. If you want to stick your boot in to a lowlife I'd recommend any of the 600 or so cockroaches infesting Westminster and the thousands more in Brussels.
Benn was the one of the last of a dying breed - a principled man of the left and a man genuinely unafraid to hold those in power to account. It's a shame that the party he stood for is now completely indistinguishable from what it was when he first joined- if Benn was starting his political career today, his views and principles would be as alien to the modern day Labour party as they would be to Genghis Khan.
The tributes of the current Labour party bigwigs to him are risible - the only thing they have in common is the name of the party they both got elected under. His belief that you shouldn't hate those who have different political views to you is completely non-existent on his side of the spectrum now - maybe those who are lining up to pay their respects could honour his memory by remembering this and that you can constructively disagree with your political opposites without resorting to venom and lies; the Bob Crow RIP thread had some people spouting anti-Thatcher nonsense that bore no resemblance to reality, such is how deluded some people have become by polemic and the rewriting of history.
RIP Tony, you were one of the greats and sadly the void you leave will be filled by infants and pygmies not fit to lick your boots
A great man and a great politician who stood by his views and principles and also 'Unfeathered' his nest unlike the self promoting toothless turds that populate parliament now. He will be missed. RIP.
An excellent politician. Whatever your political viewpoint, all can agree that he held a viewpoint & made decisions on the basis that he felt that they were the best for Britain, her people and the world, and not on the basis that it would help his career. It is a great shame there are not more people like him on all sides of politics.
A great writer, diarist and speaker, and a decent person.
I'm glad I had the pleasure to meet him and thank him for keeping me interested in politics.
Has always been my political hero although I didn't always agree with everything he said. When you look today at the lowlife like Farage who grace the political arena you realise that Tony was indeed a great man and a great politician.
RIP Mr Benn.
Not really sure of the need to bash Farage in your tribute to Benn - like his political beliefs or not, Benn & Farage are very much alike - they stick to their principles and fight for them and on behalf of those who they represent. If you want to stick your boot in to a lowlife I'd recommend any of the 600 or so cockroaches infesting Westminster and the thousands more in Brussels.
Benn was the one of the last of a dying breed - a principled man of the left and a man genuinely unafraid to hold those in power to account. It's a shame that the party he stood for is now completely indistinguishable from what it was when he first joined- if Benn was starting his political career today, his views and principles would be as alien to the modern day Labour party as they would be to Genghis Khan.
The tributes of the current Labour party bigwigs to him are risible - the only thing they have in common is the name of the party they both got elected under. His belief that you shouldn't hate those who have different political views to you is completely non-existent on his side of the spectrum now - maybe those who are lining up to pay their respects could honour his memory by remembering this and that you can constructively disagree with your political opposites without resorting to venom and lies; the Bob Crow RIP thread had some people spouting anti-Thatcher nonsense that bore no resemblance to reality, such is how deluded some people have become by polemic and the rewriting of history.
RIP Tony, you were one of the greats and sadly the void you leave will be filled by infants and pygmies not fit to lick your boots
Not sure I agree with your first point, Fiiish. I do not believe that Farage and Benn are alike in any way. Tony espoused views that were never popularist and were never likely to get him to the leadership position. Farage is an opportunistic popularist with no moral compass or depth.
Agree with everything else you say though.
RIP Tony - and thank you for being the biggest influence on my political education and enlightenment.
Has always been my political hero although I didn't always agree with everything he said. When you look today at the lowlife like Farage who grace the political arena you realise that Tony was indeed a great man and a great politician.
RIP Mr Benn.
Not really sure of the need to bash Farage in your tribute to Benn - like his political beliefs or not, Benn & Farage are very much alike - they stick to their principles and fight for them and on behalf of those who they represent. If you want to stick your boot in to a lowlife I'd recommend any of the 600 or so cockroaches infesting Westminster and the thousands more in Brussels.
Benn was the one of the last of a dying breed - a principled man of the left and a man genuinely unafraid to hold those in power to account. It's a shame that the party he stood for is now completely indistinguishable from what it was when he first joined- if Benn was starting his political career today, his views and principles would be as alien to the modern day Labour party as they would be to Genghis Khan.
The tributes of the current Labour party bigwigs to him are risible - the only thing they have in common is the name of the party they both got elected under. His belief that you shouldn't hate those who have different political views to you is completely non-existent on his side of the spectrum now - maybe those who are lining up to pay their respects could honour his memory by remembering this and that you can constructively disagree with your political opposites without resorting to venom and lies; the Bob Crow RIP thread had some people spouting anti-Thatcher nonsense that bore no resemblance to reality, such is how deluded some people have become by polemic and the rewriting of history.
RIP Tony, you were one of the greats and sadly the void you leave will be filled by infants and pygmies not fit to lick your boots
Not sure I agree with your first point, Fiiish. I do not believe that Farage and Benn are alike in any way. Tony espoused views that were never popularist and were never likely to get him to the leadership position. Farage is an opportunistic popularist with no moral compass or depth.
Agree with everything else you say though.
RIP Tony - and thank you for being the biggest influence on my political education and enlightenment.
My point was both Farage and Benn do not compromise their principles to gain popularity or power, and this is demonstrably true, and a rate thing that should be applauded regardless of how little you think of the man. I only remarked on it because there are far more obvious targets that need to be exposed as the morally bankrupt parasites that they are in politics - including those currently leading the party that has usurped the name of the party Benn stood for.
On standing down as an MP in 1999: "Having served for nearly half a century in the House of Commons, I now want more time to devote to politics and more freedom to do so."
He knew how to make his point.
Sad loss, one of the few people with integrity in the slimey world of Politics
My point was both Farage and Benn do not compromise their principles to gain popularity or power, and this is demonstrably true, and a rate thing that should be applauded regardless of how little you think of the man. I only remarked on it because there are far more obvious targets that need to be exposed as the morally bankrupt parasites that they are in politics - including those currently leading the party that has usurped the name of the party Benn stood for.
Let's agree to differ on Farage then even though I accept your point. My opinion of him as a man is that he would claim to believe in anything if it meant he would get his smug face on the television and get votes, especially at the forthcoming euro elections.
I agree that the Labour Party (and all other parties) and now lead (and in turn are leading) a bunch of morally bankrupt parasites
Comments
Seriously though, I thought he spoke well in the Michael Moore documentary Sicko.
Great respect for him. May he rest in peace.
Particularly remember when he was on Da Ali G show - he was the only guest to pull Ali up about his language, particularly calling his girlfriend his bitch. Tony challenged him straight away but managed to do it in a direct and un combative way - All the others guests played along to look cool ( as they thought).
A great man in my opinion.
For the second time in a week I'm very proud of the dignified and respectful reactions to to sad loss of a prominent left wing figure by those by those on the right.
RIP Viscount Stansgate
A couple of MPs responded but nobody major and then the night before I got a call from someone claiming to be Tony Benn's secretary and saying his previous appointment had been cancelled and he would be happy to attend.
Now, my best mate at college was a rabid Tory and was a superb leg-puller so I was sure it was him taking the piss but I gave the details out to the caller but was very skeptical.
Late the next afternoon I was waiting in the college reception doing the meet and greet for guests and suddenly this unmistakable voice pierced the air, "Right, where's this debate happening then?" And I was face to face with Tony Benn!
He was a fantastic guest, an absolute class act and I will never forget what he said to one young left-wing radical there (who was actually from a middle-class family in Shropshire) who started railing about how he "fucking hated the Tories" and wouldn't even talk to anyone on the right.
Benn took a long puff on his big brown pipe (no smoking ban in those days) and said, "Young man, you can't hate people just because they don't share your views, so let's have no more of that nonsense."
He went on to tell us (the discussion quickly went off track) that although he did not rate John Major (then PM) as a leader that he thought he was "a very decent man, probably a lot better than most of our lot!"
A great man and an absolute gentleman to his bones.
Benn was revered by my father and hated by my father in law - RIP
Without any possibility of real influence or power , Tony Benn seemed to reinvent himself in latter years as a political stand up performer. As someone who was active in the moderate Labour Party factions in the 80's and opposed to Benn politically when he was at his prime, I always respected him on a personal level and he genuinely did not get involved with personalty politics.
My take was that he often asked the right questions and could be insightful but his conclusions were often way off the mark.
RIP Mr Benn.
If all politicians had his conviction and his ability and willingness to give his time, we'd be in a far better place.
Privileged to hear him speak live on two occasions and while I disagree with many of his political views, he was hugely impressive as a committed democrat and as an inspirational man of great integrity, decency and passion.
I remember him urging a school teacher in the audience to tell sure her students " get involved with politics before politics gets involved with you," in the context of young kids being set off to fight in Iraq.
He makes the current crop of politicians of all parties look like a bunch of corrupt, self-serving, limp-wristed nobodies.
Benn was the one of the last of a dying breed - a principled man of the left and a man genuinely unafraid to hold those in power to account. It's a shame that the party he stood for is now completely indistinguishable from what it was when he first joined- if Benn was starting his political career today, his views and principles would be as alien to the modern day Labour party as they would be to Genghis Khan.
The tributes of the current Labour party bigwigs to him are risible - the only thing they have in common is the name of the party they both got elected under. His belief that you shouldn't hate those who have different political views to you is completely non-existent on his side of the spectrum now - maybe those who are lining up to pay their respects could honour his memory by remembering this and that you can constructively disagree with your political opposites without resorting to venom and lies; the Bob Crow RIP thread had some people spouting anti-Thatcher nonsense that bore no resemblance to reality, such is how deluded some people have become by polemic and the rewriting of history.
RIP Tony, you were one of the greats and sadly the void you leave will be filled by infants and pygmies not fit to lick your boots
He will be missed.
RIP.
Britain's greatest living politician is dead.
An excellent politician. Whatever your political viewpoint, all can agree that he held a viewpoint & made decisions on the basis that he felt that they were the best for Britain, her people and the world, and not on the basis that it would help his career. It is a great shame there are not more people like him on all sides of politics.
A great writer, diarist and speaker, and a decent person.
I'm glad I had the pleasure to meet him and thank him for keeping me interested in politics.
RIP Tony Benn
Agree with everything else you say though.
RIP Tony - and thank you for being the biggest influence on my political education and enlightenment.
He knew how to make his point.
Sad loss, one of the few people with integrity in the slimey world of Politics
"I can think of no body of men outside the Kremlin who have so much power without a shred of accountability for what they do"
I agree that the Labour Party (and all other parties) and now lead (and in turn are leading) a bunch of morally bankrupt parasites
rip