Tony Benn's funeral took place this morning. I'm glad for all who stood outside - listening to the broadcast of the service - that it was pleasant weather. Did any of you listen to the recordings of Tony reading some of his diary entries, on Radio 4's 'Book of the Week', last week ? Top stuff from a truly top man. I shall miss him.
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
Don't really agree with this. Most coverage I've seen has referred to how he was divisive within the Labour party and was largely responsible for the splits in the eighties. The daily politics show on the day he died was nearly all about this with Clare Short and Shirley Williams both laying into him somewhat. When Mrs T died there was plenty of positive coverage.
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
She had a ceremonial funeral, with military honours, a guard of honour and it took place at St Paul's. How much adulation do you want?
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
She had a ceremonial funeral, with military honours, a guard of honour and it took place at St Paul's. How much adulation do you want?
And the TV channels virtually cancelled all their programmes to bring live coverage of her funeral with every front page of every tabloid mourning her (well apart from the Mirror).
The comparative silence yesterday from the media speaks volumes.
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
She had a ceremonial funeral, with military honours, a guard of honour and it took place at St Paul's. How much adulation do you want?
And the TV channels virtually cancelled all their programmes to bring live coverage of her funeral with every front page of every tabloid mourning her (well apart from the Mirror).
The comparative silence yesterday from the media speaks volumes.
Maybe because Benn, despite being an adored public figure, made very little impact on public life in Britain - he never led and he squandered what little power he did ever have when he was in the cabinet. Thatcher was not only PM, but also the first lady PM, and was at the height of her time the most popular PM. She frequently ranks as best post-war PM in both public polls and by historians and political experts, was the most successful Prime Minister in terms of winning votes and length of office she delivered her party and she started her Premiership with one of the poorest and most destitute developed countries in the Western world, a country with 3-day weeks, rolling blackouts, national striking and dead bodies piling up, and left office having transformed the UK into a modern financially successful nation, as well as having successfully defended the Falklands and negotiated a favourable deal with the EU. People whine about the financial inequality but across the board nearly all UK citizens were richer than they were in 1979 and comparatively richer than their foreign counterparts. I didn't particularly agree with the (semi)state funeral, but at least Benn didn't have a bunch of pathetic morons with a massive collective chip on their shoulders holding parties and lighting bonfires and effigies to celebrate his death.
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
She had a ceremonial funeral, with military honours, a guard of honour and it took place at St Paul's. How much adulation do you want?
And the TV channels virtually cancelled all their programmes to bring live coverage of her funeral with every front page of every tabloid mourning her (well apart from the Mirror).
The comparative silence yesterday from the media speaks volumes.
Maybe because Benn, despite being an adored public figure, made very little impact on public life in Britain - he never led and he squandered what little power he did ever have when he was in the cabinet. Thatcher was not only PM, but also the first lady PM, and was at the height of her time the most popular PM. She frequently ranks as best post-war PM in both public polls and by historians and political experts, was the most successful Prime Minister in terms of winning votes and length of office she delivered her party and she started her Premiership with one of the poorest and most destitute developed countries in the Western world, a country with 3-day weeks, rolling blackouts, national striking and dead bodies piling up, and left office having transformed the UK into a modern financially successful nation, as well as having successfully defended the Falklands and negotiated a favourable deal with the EU. People whine about the financial inequality but across the board nearly all UK citizens were richer than they were in 1979 and comparatively richer than their foreign counterparts. I didn't particularly agree with the (semi)state funeral, but at least Benn didn't have a bunch of pathetic morons with a massive collective chip on their shoulders holding parties and lighting bonfires and effigies to celebrate his death.
I didn't mean to start a Thatcher discussion again, my post was in response to JonnyK's assertion that she "did not upon death receive any adulation", which she clearly did.
Diane Abbott plums new depths at the funeral. She sent a few tweets saying she was sitting behind Ed Balls etc. Very disrespectful & not a great surprise to me. "It's all about me."
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
I think we understand where you politics lie!
Throwing nasty insults is not political. It's the opposite of political.
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
She had a ceremonial funeral, with military honours, a guard of honour and it took place at St Paul's. How much adulation do you want?
And the TV channels virtually cancelled all their programmes to bring live coverage of her funeral with every front page of every tabloid mourning her (well apart from the Mirror).
The comparative silence yesterday from the media speaks volumes.
Maybe because Benn, despite being an adored public figure, made very little impact on public life in Britain - he never led and he squandered what little power he did ever have when he was in the cabinet. Thatcher was not only PM, but also the first lady PM, and was at the height of her time the most popular PM. She frequently ranks as best post-war PM in both public polls and by historians and political experts, was the most successful Prime Minister in terms of winning votes and length of office she delivered her party and she started her Premiership with one of the poorest and most destitute developed countries in the Western world, a country with 3-day weeks, rolling blackouts, national striking and dead bodies piling up, and left office having transformed the UK into a modern financially successful nation, as well as having successfully defended the Falklands and negotiated a favourable deal with the EU. People whine about the financial inequality but across the board nearly all UK citizens were richer than they were in 1979 and comparatively richer than their foreign counterparts. I didn't particularly agree with the (semi)state funeral, but at least Benn didn't have a bunch of pathetic morons with a massive collective chip on their shoulders holding parties and lighting bonfires and effigies to celebrate his death.
Depends where you take your public polls and who you poll. You've also rolled your, 3-day weeks, rolling blackouts, national striking and dead bodies piling up bit, across about 10 years of different goverments and one that Mrs T was a minister in. She didnt successfully defended the Falklands, she (our armed forces) re-took them. Her goverments lack foresight allowed them to be invaded. Dr David Owen in 1978 was faced with a simular situation and delt with it without loss of life.
Oh well, on the bright side, the exchequer will benefit greatly from its share of his multi-millions payable in inheritance tax. (Because he would have wanted that wouldn't he?)
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
She had a ceremonial funeral, with military honours, a guard of honour and it took place at St Paul's. How much adulation do you want?
And the TV channels virtually cancelled all their programmes to bring live coverage of her funeral with every front page of every tabloid mourning her (well apart from the Mirror).
The comparative silence yesterday from the media speaks volumes.
Maybe because Benn, despite being an adored public figure, made very little impact on public life in Britain - he never led and he squandered what little power he did ever have when he was in the cabinet. Thatcher was not only PM, but also the first lady PM, and was at the height of her time the most popular PM. She frequently ranks as best post-war PM in both public polls and by historians and political experts, was the most successful Prime Minister in terms of winning votes and length of office she delivered her party and she started her Premiership with one of the poorest and most destitute developed countries in the Western world, a country with 3-day weeks, rolling blackouts, national striking and dead bodies piling up, and left office having transformed the UK into a modern financially successful nation, as well as having successfully defended the Falklands and negotiated a favourable deal with the EU. People whine about the financial inequality but across the board nearly all UK citizens were richer than they were in 1979 and comparatively richer than their foreign counterparts. I didn't particularly agree with the (semi)state funeral, but at least Benn didn't have a bunch of pathetic morons with a massive collective chip on their shoulders holding parties and lighting bonfires and effigies to celebrate his death.
The parties showed how hated she was. The most vile British Prime Minister ever.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
What a truly nasty post.
Given some the bile & hatred regurgitated straight from CiF by people on here towards the Tories/UKIP/LibDems (see post above mine for perfect example) my post was relatively pleasant.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
Never a fan of Benn, but I always admired his superb taste, when he was younger, of his wonderful collection of soft, roll collar, American button down shirts he used to always wear. Pure class, just like the ones Dick Van Dyke wore in his 1960's TV series.
Never a fan of Benn, but I always admired his superb taste, when he was younger, of his wonderful collection of soft, roll collar, American button down shirts he used to always wear. Pure class, just like the ones Dick Van Dyke wore in his 1960's TV series.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
What a truly nasty post.
Given some the bile & hatred regurgitated straight from CiF by people on here towards the Tories/UKIP/LibDems (see post above mine for perfect example) my post was relatively pleasant.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
If you think Tony Benn was "nice" then you know nothing about politics at all.
The bloke spent most of the 1980s stabbing his lifelong friends in the back to try and takeover the party.
He wasn't always the kindly Grandpa he became in his dotage.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
What a truly nasty post.
Given some the bile & hatred regurgitated straight from CiF by people on here towards the Tories/UKIP/LibDems (see post above mine for perfect example) my post was relatively pleasant.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
If you think Tony Benn was "nice" then you know nothing about politics at all.
The bloke spent most of the 1980s stabbing his lifelong friends in the back to try and takeover the party.
He wasn't always the kindly Grandpa he became in his dotage.
Well yes I was largely referring to his later years, so yes I do know something about politics, the history lesson isn't necessary.
Besides, anyone who causes disruption and discord in the Labour Party can't be that bad a person.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
What a truly nasty post.
Given some the bile & hatred regurgitated straight from CiF by people on here towards the Tories/UKIP/LibDems (see post above mine for perfect example) my post was relatively pleasant.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
If you think Tony Benn was "nice" then you know nothing about politics at all.
The bloke spent most of the 1980s stabbing his lifelong friends in the back to try and takeover the party.
He wasn't always the kindly Grandpa he became in his dotage.
Well yes I was largely referring to his later years, so yes I do know something about politics, the history lesson isn't necessary.
Besides, anyone who causes disruption and discord in the Labour Party can't be that bad a person.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
What a truly nasty post.
Given some the bile & hatred regurgitated straight from CiF by people on here towards the Tories/UKIP/LibDems (see post above mine for perfect example) my post was relatively pleasant.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
If you think Tony Benn was "nice" then you know nothing about politics at all.
The bloke spent most of the 1980s stabbing his lifelong friends in the back to try and takeover the party.
He wasn't always the kindly Grandpa he became in his dotage.
Well yes I was largely referring to his later years, so yes I do know something about politics, the history lesson isn't necessary.
Besides, anyone who causes disruption and discord in the Labour Party can't be that bad a person.
Coming onto a rip thread at linking about people being a waste of oxygen - I wonder, how did the Tory party get dubbed the nasty party?
Thanks for reminding me why I joined the Labour Party in the first place.
1) I've never voted Tory 2) they were dubbed the nasty party by a group so pathetic that they had to resort to such childish tactics 3) if you don't like nasty parties then why are you a member of Labour? They have been responsible for a lot of extremely nasty stuff in the last few decades.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
What a truly nasty post.
Given some the bile & hatred regurgitated straight from CiF by people on here towards the Tories/UKIP/LibDems (see post above mine for perfect example) my post was relatively pleasant.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
If you think Tony Benn was "nice" then you know nothing about politics at all.
The bloke spent most of the 1980s stabbing his lifelong friends in the back to try and takeover the party.
He wasn't always the kindly Grandpa he became in his dotage.
Well yes I was largely referring to his later years, so yes I do know something about politics, the history lesson isn't necessary.
Besides, anyone who causes disruption and discord in the Labour Party can't be that bad a person.
Coming onto a rip thread at linking about people being a waste of oxygen - I wonder, how did the Tory party get dubbed the nasty party?
Thanks for reminding me why I joined the Labour Party in the first place.
1) I've never voted Tory 2) they were dubbed the nasty party by a group so pathetic that they had to resort to such childish tactics 3) if you don't like nasty parties then why are you a member of Labour? They have been responsible for a lot of extremely nasty stuff in the last few decades.
All the Lefty foghorns were at it - Owen Jones, Abbott et al were tweeting all the way through the funeral.
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
What a truly nasty post.
Given some the bile & hatred regurgitated straight from CiF by people on here towards the Tories/UKIP/LibDems (see post above mine for perfect example) my post was relatively pleasant.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
If you think Tony Benn was "nice" then you know nothing about politics at all.
The bloke spent most of the 1980s stabbing his lifelong friends in the back to try and takeover the party.
He wasn't always the kindly Grandpa he became in his dotage.
Well yes I was largely referring to his later years, so yes I do know something about politics, the history lesson isn't necessary.
Besides, anyone who causes disruption and discord in the Labour Party can't be that bad a person.
Coming onto a rip thread at linking about people being a waste of oxygen - I wonder, how did the Tory party get dubbed the nasty party?
Thanks for reminding me why I joined the Labour Party in the first place.
1) I've never voted Tory 2) they were dubbed the nasty party by a group so pathetic that they had to resort to such childish tactics 3) if you don't like nasty parties then why are you a member of Labour? They have been responsible for a lot of extremely nasty stuff in the last few decades.
I genuinely feel sorry for you being so angry and bitter. Good luck I you quest for a meaningful life. Tony Benn will be missed.
Just an observation - he was a conviction politician and upon death was lauded by our national news provider whilst another conviction politician Mrs T did not upon death receive any adulation.
Double standards anyone??
She had a ceremonial funeral, with military honours, a guard of honour and it took place at St Paul's. How much adulation do you want?
And the TV channels virtually cancelled all their programmes to bring live coverage of her funeral with every front page of every tabloid mourning her (well apart from the Mirror).
The comparative silence yesterday from the media speaks volumes.
Maybe because Benn, despite being an adored public figure, made very little impact on public life in Britain - he never led and he squandered what little power he did ever have when he was in the cabinet. Thatcher was not only PM, but also the first lady PM, and was at the height of her time the most popular PM. She frequently ranks as best post-war PM in both public polls and by historians and political experts, was the most successful Prime Minister in terms of winning votes and length of office she delivered her party and she started her Premiership with one of the poorest and most destitute developed countries in the Western world, a country with 3-day weeks, rolling blackouts, national striking and dead bodies piling up, and left office having transformed the UK into a modern financially successful nation, as well as having successfully defended the Falklands and negotiated a favourable deal with the EU. People whine about the financial inequality but across the board nearly all UK citizens were richer than they were in 1979 and comparatively richer than their foreign counterparts. I didn't particularly agree with the (semi)state funeral, but at least Benn didn't have a bunch of pathetic morons with a massive collective chip on their shoulders holding parties and lighting bonfires and effigies to celebrate his death.
Like Cameron , Thatcher came to power on the back of a global financial crisis that had nothing to do with the previous labour government and her/his management prolonged the pain and only succeeded for the wealthy few. Majority of Brits are not feeling the recovery, then or now. Thatcher destroyed communities for a generation out of spite.
Comments
RIP
Double standards anyone??
The comparative silence yesterday from the media speaks volumes.
Very disrespectful & not a great surprise to me. "It's all about me."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2590802/Put-phone-prat-Labour-MP-Diane-Abbott-accused-disrespect-live-tweeting-Tony-Benns-funeral.html
Abbott has form on this though as she once tweeted Labour Party propaganda during a 2 minute's silence. The woman is the personification of the Labour Party - a useless, unscrupulous disgusting drain on public resources and waste of oxygen.
You've also rolled your, 3-day weeks, rolling blackouts, national striking and dead bodies piling up bit, across about 10 years of different goverments and one that Mrs T was a minister in.
She didnt successfully defended the Falklands, she (our armed forces) re-took them. Her goverments lack foresight allowed them to be invaded. Dr David Owen in 1978 was faced with a simular situation and delt with it without loss of life.
Being nice doesn't get you very far in politics - sadly this was very true for Benn - nicest guy but never got much of a crack at the whip.
The bloke spent most of the 1980s stabbing his lifelong friends in the back to try and takeover the party.
He wasn't always the kindly Grandpa he became in his dotage.
Besides, anyone who causes disruption and discord in the Labour Party can't be that bad a person.
2) they were dubbed the nasty party by a group so pathetic that they had to resort to such childish tactics
3) if you don't like nasty parties then why are you a member of Labour? They have been responsible for a lot of extremely nasty stuff in the last few decades.