Friday, 14 March 2014

Tony Benn: 1925-2014

I'd like to have on my gravestone: "He encouraged us." I'm proud to have been in the parliament that introduced the health service, the welfare state and voted against means testing. I did my maiden speech on nationalising the steel industry, put down the first motion for the boycott of South African goods, and resigned from the shadow cabinet in 1958 because of their support for nuclear weapons.

I think you do plant a few acorns, and I have lived to see one or two trees growing: gay rights, freedom of information, CND. I'm not claiming them for myself but you feel you have encouraged other people and see the arguments developing.

I'm not ashamed of making mistakes I've made a million mistakes and they're all in the diary. When we edit the diary - which is cut to around 10 percent - every mistake has to be printed because people look to see if you do. I would be ashamed if I thought I'd ever said anything I didn't believe to get on, but making mistakes is part of life, isn't it?

Interview with Socialist Review, 2007.

When I was a little boy I stole a copy of Tony Benn's Arguments For Socialism from the school library.
Probably the most and the least socialist thing I've ever done.
It is here.
You are not.
Thanks for encouraging all of us.
I loved you so much, Tony.
x

Fagburn is now very sad - and having a little cry - and declares today an official day of mourning.

4 comments:

  1. Likeability and integrity. Two traits that are often lacking from many a politician's repertoire. That was certainly not the case with this fine gentleman; he possessed both qualities in spades. May he rest in peace. Goodness knows he has earned the right.

    Your pal,
    Gaz

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  2. As with Bob Crow, dismal comments from the Labour Party. Yvette "It's all about me" Cooper: "He gave me great advice on my speeches". All of them desperate to distance themselves from his views. Miliband: "... whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him ..."

    I don't suppose Tony Benn would have cared a jot what people said about him, but he probably would have hated the political illiteracy. One of the BBC's myriad political correspondents claimed this morning that he didn't fight to renounce on his peerage on the barricades, but in the courts and Commons. So, we've forgotten the by-election he fought and his subsequent campaign outside the Commons, have we? And the essence of Tony Benn was his belief that victories are won by the people fighting against the ruling class in the Courts and Commons. At least Tony Benn doesn't have to listen to the BBC's nonsense any more.

    Tony Benn stood for things. You knew that if a cause was progressive he'd support it, whether it was gay rights or the Stop the War Campaign. This has been a bad week and today I'm crying too.

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  3. Unfortunately Tony Benn was also the Tories' biggest asset - his support for nuclear disarmament in the '80s made Labour unelectable just at the time when an alternative to Thatcher was desperately needed. And as for his other great passion namely demonising the EU - did he never wonder why the Tories all hate the EU? Is it because the Tories all passionately believe in democracy and the rights of the British people? Like hell it is - it's because they want to abolish the Human Rights act, the Social Charter and workers' rights guaranteed by the EU. Tony Benn was just playing into their hands.

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  4. "More extreme than Ukip" sayeth Ducky FOF 01/11/13

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