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I woke to hear the news this morning but mis-heard it as Tony Blair.
I think I would prefer it that way.
Sad day, probably the only politician that i've ever made a point of listening to, even if i didn't always agree with everything he said.
I was there, in the room, when he said it, so either I'm lying, he was lying, or you're refusing to believe it's what he said.
I"m not saying he didn't say it - I just think it's a bit strange/disingenuous to mention it without any kind of context.
I just think it's a bit strange/disingenuous to mention it without any kind of context.
Fair enough, I thought I had; it was within the context of modern politicians not really believing in anything whereas Mrs T at least did. I took it as read that folks would know that he didn't agree with her beliefs...
Total, principled legend.
RIP, comrade. 🙁
Sky News showing some respect;
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I never agreed with his politics, but respected the way he stuck to his principles. A very clever and classy guy, from an age when politics was about beliefs and not personalities.
If only the current generation of halfwits were half the man (or woman) that he wad.
"Lord" Kinnock, eh?
See what you did there...
A man with a great deal of integrity no matter what you thought of his political stance. It's a shame that so few modern political figures share that trait. He was a decent human being.
‘Well, I don’t believe you should attack people personally,’ he says. ‘My father taught me that. Democracy is about competing opinion, but you don’t have to be nasty about it. The personality side of things switches me off completely. I stopped reading the papers when they were full of all these personal attacks on Gordon Brown. What matters is what is done, not who does it.’
Thus he could respect Thatcher. I doubt he admired her tbh, but we'd just be guessing. He's said plenty about her over the years, but he's never been anything but impeccably polite.
Tony Benn: the only thing political that me (a lefty) and my dad (a raging tory) can agree on, in him being a man to admire and respect. My dad's read all his diaries!
Genuine sense of sadness today, RIP.
The only politician to keep his integrity with Ali G.
Oh god, not Toby Benn as well!
it's easy being a socialist when money worries aren't a problem and the family name and estate are secure for future generations, eh!
Not as easy as being an internet troll when you have nothing more worthwhile to occupy your life though.
Toby gone, gone Toby, dear Toby, dear dear Toby
The only politician to keep his integrity with Ali G.
I can't play the video but I seem to remember he was the only one that took Ali G to task for his sexist comments? It seems silly but I think that was a significant moment: it showed that he wasn't going to let it go unchallenged - and compare that to all the other people who were interested in getting their fizzog on the gogglebox.
Whilst I always found Sir Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn entertaining to listen to and felt his heart was in the right place, I couldn't help feeling the his presence did nothing for whatever cause he was fighting. A peer giving up his peerage to become a left-wing politician was never going to gain popular acceptance in the class-led political battles of the sixties and seventies. Even when he laudably lent his pacifist voice to the anti-gulf war movement I couldn't help thinking that war was then inevitable.
As for RIP. He was always in favour of peace but I hope there are some good intellectual sparring partners in heaven to get him fired up, I suspect many of his opponents ended up in the other place.
Not as easy as being an internet troll when you have nothing more worthwhile to occupy your life though.
Pwned.
My two pen'orth:
Heard him speak in Manchester in 2006. Even late in life, his power of logic and oratory was superb.
My English teacher was called Anthony Benn. Known universally by staff and pupils alike as "Wedgie".
Pwned.
And the best bit is, your taxes pay for it
rock on socialism 8)
Indeed RIP, sad but hey, bloody good bloke 😀
.
🙂
The only politician I've ever liked. Farewell Mr Benn.
[i]"If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people."[/i]
Indeed. Rest easy, Mr Benn.
Nice clip kimbers. His story about the Thatcherite train ending up a socialist train reminded me of this :
The Myth of Human Nature
Proper politician, genuine man of and for the people, spoke his mind, didn't change his beliefs for popularity, oratory genius, easy to listen to and understand, never ducked a question or issue, TOP MAN!
One of the saddest days for this country.
I wonder he made of this posh 6th form Etonian social club that we are currently saddled with? Not much I expect!
RIP fella.
You know your kids are always within earshot: This morning I turned up the radio when it reported Benn had died and I must have made a sad face my daughter (11yo) said "is that Tony Blair?" I made another face and said "no" and she asked "do you wish Tony Blair was dead then?"
"Well...." I replied.
Who is Benn's spiritual successor then? George Galloway?!
Great, great man and gentleman.
A very good spreaker, a long winded diarist and an ineffectual politician.
He was possibly the original champagne socialist, but I couldn't fault his complete commitment to his cause and his personal integrity would put every modern politician to shame. RIP.
an ineffectual politician
Really ? Why ?......because he didn't become prime minister ?
Few politicians reach the position of cabinet minister, he did. He had significant influence both in government and within the Labour Party.
desperately sad news we have lost a decent honest human being who lived what he believed. some of the stuff may have been bonkers but he believed in it didnt change his views because the wind changed direction or to suit personal ambition. i m tony benn i m a socialist every one knew that his opinion was considered and carried conviction.
a true giant of british politics cannot imagine saying that about anyone else alive today.. RIP
Unexpected musical collaborations, Mull Historical Society and Tony Benn...
"We the people" they all say
But do they treat us thus?
Or are we units in a game they play
Men, Women, Black and White
Rich, Poor, Young, Old, Straight or Gay
Defined and safely filed away
For Pollsters, Salesmen and MPs
To be bought or bribed to make them rich
Or Enemies who must be killed
People are made of flesh and blood
with hearts and minds and hopes
and fears, and all just want a Life
Which we must nurture to survive.
We have the power to end the world
We have the power to save the world
The Choice is ours: It is a Moral Choice
To work together in both Peace and Love
We must break Free and be ourselves
There lies the hope for all the human race.
possibly the last honest politician 😥
an ineffectual politician
Really ? Why ?......because he didn't become prime minister ?
Because he didn't convince enough people to support his ideas.
But still a top bloke.
Because he didn't convince enough people to support his ideas.
He managed to get people to repeatedly reelect him as their MP for 50 years.
He was Postmaster General, Minister of Technology, Secretary of State for Industry, and Secretary of State for Energy. I think we can safely say he had a few ideas which he implemented whilst serving those positions.
I'm not sure a great many politicians are much more effective than that.
I was perhaps being overly harsh (see below) but when he had the most influence, he failed - arguably through lack of ability to compromise - to get his party elected to government.
*He is being lauded as a "big beast", yet he never held one of the great offices of state - so for a big beast that is relatively ineffective.
yet he never held one of the great offices of state
Cabinet minister isn't one of the great offices of state ?.......what is then ? 😕
Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Home Secretary are generally regarded as the great offices of state.
So every politician who fails to make Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor or Home Secretary should consider that they have been ineffectual, even the ones which make it to the cabinet ?
That should come as a surprise to many MPs and councillors who are involved in decision making throughout the country.
And I don't understand how he 'failed to get his party elected to government' btw. He was himself was in two governments.
I obviously not making myself clear - he was one of the dominant political voices of his time - in that context a junior cabinet career of 5 years is pretty ineffective. When he was senior member of his party, he failed to be elected and his party began a long run of losing elections.
Rather than use my own words I'll quote the Guardian obituary, Ernie.
Benn was not responsible for Thatcherism, but it is hard to escape the conclusion that the only thing that would have damaged the left more than Benn's failed attempt to capture the Labour party would have been his success.
Were Kinnock and Benn liabilities or assets when it came to winning votes? They were both true to Labour's orignal ideals and totally out of step with what the electorate wanted to hear by the late seventies. Both were a PR man's nightmare at a time when image was becoming more important than substance.
It's quite unusual that the death of such an ineffectual ex-politician is provoking more reaction from all sides of the political debate today than the deaths of some holders of the great offices of state.