Tony Benn: Remember

Click to enlarge.

Tony Benn died a year ago today.

In the above he warns parliament about Section 28.

Thanks to Calum S. x

Fagburn: I'm Still Here

Sincere apologies - Fagburn was called away to London by the spirit voice of Regina Fong to see a young engineer of his acquaintance, and a transvestite potter.

He is now going through the last few days' papers to see what - if anything - of interest and import he missed.

These - again, if there are actually any - will be retroactively posted below on the day of publication.

PS This amusing/disturbing/sacrilegious/erotic/transphobic photomontage illustrates a silly article in today's Guardian; Tony Benn – the new face of the Tories No wonder our Thatcherite prime minister can’t win over much of his party on the European Union. They’re closet Bennites

Of course, that 'politician is Thatcher in drag' meme/trope will never get old...

Tony Benn: Will & Testament

In cinemas now!

Introducing Our New Star Columnist: Owen Jones

Selfie! So sincere it hurts...

Eee, I'm from up North, me.
And I'm not just putting it on.
By 'eck.
Let's have a cheeky brew!
That's what they say, isn't it?
Some say I'm like a crap drag act with my hilair faux Northerness.
But I say, 'Do one!'

Now booking!

Cause I can also do working class drag.
I remember the Miner's Strike, like t'yesterday, even though I was born in August 1984, which was halfway through.
Still, lots to talk about at a dinner party.
It was at one of those dinner parties I realised my posh friends didn't like poor people much.
Wrote a book about it.
Don't know much about the gays either.
Wrote an article about that, too, ironically demonising them as an 'other'.
Eee, them gays is their own worst enemies.
My head has fairly swollen of late.
I blame the fame.
Follow me on that Twitter, if you're not one of the three people I haven't blocked for daring to criticise me.
Ecky thump!
Black pudding.
Quick selfie with me and a dying Tony Benn.

Eh up missus, he was made of coal, made of coal.

Don't you all be commenting on my boyish good looks, even though no-one but me is obsessed with them.

Bloomin' eccles cakes!

PS Fagburn went to a talk by Owen, before she was famous and just after the publication of Chavs, asked him to define 'the working class'm as the book seemed more concerned with what some snoots call the underclass.

'Err...'

Tony Benn: A Minute's Silence

Goodbye Mr Benn.
Fagburn hopes people will listen to what you said and talk about 'ishoos' now, not personalities.
Thank you.
x

Letter Of The Day: The Times

Tony Benn: Again

This has been much retweeted.
Wonder how many who did read what it says?

'If I rescued a child from drowning, the press would no doubt headline the story: 'Benn grabs child'' - 1975.

Lucky you're not around to see how nice everyone's pretending to be now you've died...

PS A 10 Minute History Lesson.

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.

Thought For The Day: Tony Benn

“No, I’m not frightened about death, I don’t know why but I just feel that at a certain moment your switch is switched off and that’s it. And you can’t do anything about it."

Tony Benn in the Sunday Mirror.

The last volume of Tony's awesome series of diaries, A Blaze Of Autumn Sunshine, will appear in the autumn (appropriately).
You can watch a "sneak preview" of the forthcoming documentary fillum, Will And Testament, here.

But just by setting out the case for a genuinely free and independent press and broadcasting system explains precisely why the top people would never agree - for they understand better what a transformation it would bring about in the political climate of the nation, which is the last thing they want...

Tony Benn on The Media And Politics, 2002.

Alan Bennett: A National Treasure?

There is a profile of Alan Bennett in The Sunday Times titled The National's Treasure.
It's a double-ended pun as the feature's written by Nicholas Hytner, the director of the National Theatre, who's directed seven of Bennett's plays.
The two men discuss their working relationship in Alan Bennett and The Habit of Art on More4 on Saturday.
Profiles of Alan Bennett seem dutybound to describe him as "a national treasure" these days - a cliche quite freely applied to other people.
"It's a funny bit of cookery," Peter York told The Guardian last year. "You need durability, you need to be fairly mature [he thinks 50 and above is about right] and you need to have a basic craft or skill."
According to The Guardian, York thinks the real national treasures are fairly mid-market performers who have been around for so long you feel they must have hidden depths ("June Whitfield, for instance") and those, such as Judi Dench and David Attenborough, "who have always been at the top of their game and you're just glad they're there. 'Don't die yet!' That's what that's about."
The Observer today is asking readers; "Help us find Britain's National Treasures".
"What connects union firebrand Arthur Scargill, maverick musician Mark E Smith and comedy actress June Whitfield..."
I bet Alan Bennett wins that one, he's one of those gay men the nation seems to treasure.
Elton John gets called a national treasure a lot, often with the explainer that he's "the Queen Mum of Pop", which I think may mean we're all suposed to like him.
And much of the recent hooha about Stephen Fry was arguably because a "national treasure" like him isn't supposed to touch on tricky topics - a bit like the Queen talking about politics.
Which you could argue it was.
Alan Bennett has said he hates his national treasure status.
Which seems to be confirmed in the Sunday Times piece.
'He pleads with those who talk about him to the press to blow his cover,' writes Hytner. '“Tell them I’m a cunt, love.”'

Two Thoughts For The Day: Tony Benn

"Ageing is a form of liberation. You become a Buddhist by default because you rid yourself of all kinds of desire.”

“ ‘Thatcher, Thatcher, Thatcher, out, out, out!’ didn’t amount to much given it turned into ‘Blair, Blair, Blair, in, in, in’.  I became more radical because, when I became a minister, I realised we need rather more than a change of government to make a real difference.”

Tony Benn, 85, The Times.