RIP Tony Benn

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One of the grand old men of the UK labour movement passes away aged 88.

Perhaps one of the cleverest and most honorable MPs I've ever heard speak. An author and all round good guy.
He used to do some awful stuff, like inviting Sinn Fein to the Commons, but was a hell of an orator and a man of real conviction.
He gave up a hereditary peerage to sit as an MP, he simply didn't think it was right to inherit a title.

RIP a good and great "man of the people."

SprocketUK
link

One of the grand old men of the UK labour movement passes away aged 88.

Perhaps one of the cleverest and most honorable MPs I've ever heard speak. An author and all round good guy.
He used to do some awful stuff, like inviting Sinn Fein to the Commons, but was a hell of an orator and a man of real conviction.
He gave up a hereditary peerage to sit as an MP, he simply didn't think it was right to inherit a title.

RIP a good and great "man of the people."

I always liked Mr Benn...the fancy dress shop will never be the same.



Oh god..it's not him it's the other one...thank god.

DP Sorry

Always liked Tony Benn, great orator and old school politician, who seemed to have a genuine personality unlike any of the current crop of faceless PPE indoctrinated out of touch MPs.

woodwardjnr
Always liked Tony Benn, great orator and old school politician, who seemed to have a genuine personality unlike any of the current crop of faceless PPE indoctrinated out of touch MPs.

He was right when he said -
"The House of Lords is the British Outer Mongolia for retired politicians." and

"It's the same each time with progress. First they ignore you, then they say you're mad, then dangerous, then there's a pause and then you can't find anyone who disagrees with you."

S n F

Farewell old boy , safe passage

Farewell old boy , safe passage

Another of the 'old school' gone.

This may surprise some people but I didn't always agree with his politics but few can deny he was a politician of conviction and an excellent debater and parliamentarian.
His integrity remained intact throughout his life and politicians of today could learn a lot from the way he and a few others conducted themselves in a passionate yet dignified manner.

Freeborn
Another of the 'old school' gone.

This may surprise some people but I didn't always agree with his politics but few can deny he was a politician of conviction and an excellent debater and parliamentarian.
His integrity remained intact throughout his life and politicians of today could learn a lot from the way he and a few others conducted themselves in a passionate yet dignified manner.

I know what you mean, though I heartily agreed with the way he despised Blair.

A clever bloke, Mr Benn and I only found out about the plaque he put up to Emily Wilding Davis today.

reply to post by SprocketUK


Old school.

Great speaker, as those who actually believe in what they preach usually are, fearless in politics.

Shame there are not more politicians with the same honesty and determination.

Bye Tony, and thanks.

A man of principle and values , a man who spoke sense and had a way of connecting with people of all ages , a real politician .
He had a long and full life and will be missed by many , farewell Tony and Rest in Peace.

reply to post by SprocketUK


A sad day for British Politics. Nothing but respect for Tony Benn - wish there were more like him (from all parties). Not enough conviction these days, just bland media savvy types that change their views as much as a normal person changes their pants.

RIP.

gortex
A man of principle and values , a man who spoke sense and had a way of connecting with people of all ages , a real politician .
He had a long and full life and will be missed by many , farewell Tony and Rest in Peace.

That video was a really good example of what he was about.

An absolute legend, a man and politician of real substance and conviction.
From the abolition of The Lords, His Anti-War, Anti Nuclear stance.... his activism and his literally taking to the streets to protest, I agreed with a lot of what he stood for and fought for.

You just do not get politicians like this any more.

Yes he was divisive and I doubt anybody agrees with everything he said or wanted or didn't want, but he was a real character and the type of politician that I doubt we'll ever see again, all we have now are mostly spineless, on the take, interchangeable puppets.

RIP Tony Benn

The last honest politician. A committed socialist and a man who actually fought for the common man.
Rip Tony.

Some quotes

The key to any progress is to ask the question why? All the time. Why is that child poor? Why was there a war? Why was he killed? Why is he in power? And of course questions can get you into a lot of trouble, because society is trained by those who run it, to accept what goes on. Without questions we won't make any progress at all.


"You can't create democracy by invasion."



"It is not the hardware of military weapons that frightens me ... it is the hatred that makes people want to use them".



If one meets a powerful person ask them five questions: “What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?” If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system.


I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. First of all frighten people and secondly, demoralize them.



I was born about a quarter of a mile from where we are sitting now and I was here in London during the Blitz. And every night I went down into the shelter. 500 people killed, my brother was killed, my friends were killed. And when the Charter of the UN was read to me, I was a pilot coming home in a troop ship: 'We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind.' That was the pledge my generation gave to the younger generation and you tore it up. And it's a war crime that's been committed in Iraq, because there is no moral difference between a stealth bomber and a suicide bomber. Both kill innocent people for political reasons.


I do not share the general view that market forces are the basis of personal liberty.



It is wholly wrong to blame Marx for what was done in his name , as it is to blame Jesus for what was done in his,


"As you get older, all desire goes - medical conditions help with that - so I think of myself now as a biological Buddhist."

I was sad to hear about his passing this morning and i have finally made it onto ATS to give my condolences to such a wonderful and decent human being. Im glad they're making a film about his life and his contribution to politics, the world must not be allowed to forget about him.

Britain has lost a great man today, its a shame how many people are passive of this fact.

RIP Tony Benn

A man of integrity who never waivered from his beliefs. A man who would defend your democratic rights even though he may disagree with your politics, integrity personified. This is why the Daily Mail hated him with a passion.....an honest politician.

The funniest thing was the number of people of "right of centre" persuasion who, having heard him on question time, agreed with him but could not understand why.....dimwits!

He was one of the few politicians I'd realy listen too. The rest of them dont get my precious time.

RIP Tony.
And if there is an after life, I hope he's giving maggie an ear bashing!

Time waits for no man and Mr Benn had a very good innings. I saw him speak several times in Liverpool and enjoyed his style of oratory. He was the guy that introduced me to Rumsfeld's US foreign policy of 'full-spectrum dominance' and before the events of 9/11.

He and Chomsky were warning that the US was exploiting the Middle-East as a means to a political and economic power-grab. Whether people agree with their politics, or not, history can be the judge of whether they were right to be concerned about global instability and repercussions for the West from the influence of 'full spectrum dominance.'

What I'll miss about Benn is his political stance and drum-banging. In UK politics, we don't have a person of influence with his political perspective or pedigree. So in a way his death leaves us with three political strands and they can call themselves blue, red and yellow, but some of us know already that they're all the same - the colour of old rope.


reply to post by VoidHawk

And if there is an after life, I hope he's giving maggie an ear bashing!

*If* there's an afterlife, I'd like to think that Mr Benn went somewhere with a (ahem) cooler climate than Mrs Thatcher.