Tony Benn dies aged 88

[CumbrianRam]

Former Cabinet minister and veteran left-wing campaigner Tony Benn has died at home, his family has said.

The 88-year-old former Labour MP had been seriously ill.

Mr Benn became an MP in November 1950 and served in the Cabinet under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.

A major figure on the left of the party, he narrowly missed out on the deputy leadership in 1981 and went on to be a popular public speaker, anti-war campaigner and political diarist.

In a statement his children Stephen, Hilary, Melissa and Joshua said Mr Benn died peacefully early this morning at his home in west London surrounded by his family.

"We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the NHS staff and carers who have looked after him with such kindness in hospital and at home", the family said.

"We will miss above all his love which has sustained us throughout our lives. But we are comforted by the memory of his long, full and inspiring life and so proud of his devotion to helping others as he sought to change the world for the better."

They said arrangements for his funeral will be announced in due course.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26573929

[uttoxram75]

More conviction and honesty in his little finger than the spin doctor generation of politicians we've got now.

 

RIP Tony Benn

[eddie]

Totally admired and respected the guy. Dennis is all we have left now as far as honesty and integrity is concerned. 

 

RIP Tony.

[froggg]

Bless him, top top man

[ladyram]

All I know of him is that he supported the miners, that's enough for me to know he was one of the good ones.

RIP.

[needles]

He was a toff who turned his back on his class, gave up his baronetcy and changed from Anthony Wedgewood-Benn. 

His old style socialist principles have been proven to be garbage and he was full to the brim of lunatic ideas.

 

Still respected him though, as he said what he believed. Not many of them around.

[eddie]

He was a toff who turned his back on his class, gave up his baronetcy and changed from Anthony Wedgewood-Benn. 

His old style socialist principles have been proven to be garbage and he was full to the brim of lunatic ideas.

 

Still respected him though, as he said what he believed. Not many of them around.

 

As would anybody with any morals - especially when your 'class' is a bunch of chinless cretinous inbred parasites who ought to be the first up against the wall.

 

Oh sorry guv - forgot to clutch my forelock.

[Gritstone Ram]

His family made a few good plates. Didn't agree with his politics though.

[AndyinLiverpool]

He was a toff who turned his back on his class, gave up his baronetcy and changed from Anthony Wedgewood-Benn.

His old style socialist principles have been proven to be garbage and he was full to the brim of lunatic ideas.

Still respected him though, as he said what he believed. Not many of them around.

Quality: Ratbag, insult, insult, respect.

Vintage stuff.

[May Contain Nuts]

Gutted, I love his boil in the bag rice and sweet and sour sauce.

[2tups]

In a world where politician's motives are questioned so easily - no matter where you stand - you couldn't doubt Tony's. Should be remembered too that for a man with a highly interrogated media profile he was a much respected Derbyshire constituency MP.

[Grimbeard]

More conviction and honesty in his little finger than the spin doctor generation of politicians we've got now.

 

RIP Tony Benn

Politically I profoundly disagreed with him on many issues. As a man, you have it spot on.

[RamNut]

I quite liked him until a time when i was living briefly in ireland, and he went on the Late Late show and pandered to the IRA.

You could tell he thought they would love him for it.

Instead the reaction from the host and audience was one of barely concealed disgust.

He just couldn't see it.

He was so in love with his own performance.

And why encourage terrorism?

It wasn't a very clever thing to do at the time.

[eddie]

It's also possible to argue that his interest in Northern Ireland helped to keep it firmly on the Westminster agenda. I appreciate that there are many who will always chant the mantra "Never talk to terrorists - talking to them encourages them" - but with the benefit of hindsight, the talkers were right - it needed dialogue to break the vicious circle. "The Troubles" are now firmly a thing of the past - with the exception of a handful of dissidents (both Republican and Loyalist).  

[uttoxram75]

I quite liked him until a time when i was living briefly in ireland, and he went on the Late Late show and pandered to the IRA.

You could tell he thought they would love him for it.

Instead the reaction from the host and audience was one of barely concealed disgust.

He just couldn't see it.

He was so in love with his own performance.

And why encourage terrorism?

It wasn't a very clever thing to do at the time.

Perhaps because he'd lived and fought through the horrors of war he felt it better to try and debate and discuss the issues. Politicians like Bush (who dodged the Vietnam draft), Blair, Cameron etc all like talking tough but would run a mile if they had to put their own lives on the line.

Benn was in the RAF as was his father and brother during WW2. Thatcher once made a snidy remark about him only being free because of others willingness to fight - she was unaware that he had flew in the RAF during the war.

 

Thatcher and all subsequent governments were talking to the IRA/Sinn Fein behind the scenes whilst denying it publically.....maybe Benn was just more honest.

[Gritstone Ram]

Gutted, I love his boil in the bag rice and sweet and sour sauce.

my favorite memory was when he went into a fancy dress costume shop and the shop keeper appeared like magic. He tried on a caveman costume and when he came out the changing room he was in caveman land.

[RamNut]

Perhaps because he'd lived and fought through the horrors of war he felt it better to try and debate and discuss the issues. Politicians like Bush (who dodged the Vietnam draft), Blair, Cameron etc all like talking tough but would run a mile if they had to put their own lives on the line.

Benn was in the RAF as was his father and brother during WW2. Thatcher once made a snidy remark about him only being free because of others willingness to fight - she was unaware that he had flew in the RAF during the war.

 

Thatcher and all subsequent governments were talking to the IRA/Sinn Fein behind the scenes whilst denying it publically.....maybe Benn was just more honest.

No.

He was justifying terrorism.

[RamNut]

.....the stupid fukker.

[eddie]

No.

He was justifying terrorism.

 

 

F*cking Thatcherite poppycock.

[dabber]

Perhaps because he'd lived and fought through the horrors of war he felt it better to try and debate and discuss the issues. Politicians like Bush (who dodged the Vietnam draft), Blair, Cameron etc all like talking tough but would run a mile if they had to put their own lives on the line.

Benn was in the RAF as was his father and brother during WW2. Thatcher once made a snidy remark about him only being free because of others willingness to fight - she was unaware that he had flew in the RAF during the war.

 

Thatcher and all subsequent governments were talking to the IRA/Sinn Fein behind the scenes whilst denying it publically.....maybe Benn was just more honest.

That was in the Commons when he wanted to see how much it cost (in life, equipment etc) to send the task force to the Falklands, which he believed to be an unnecessary war, she said he wouldn't have the freedom of speech he had w/o those putting their lives on the line, rather embarrassingly for her not realising he had put his life on the line. She did get very upset sending handwritten letters to the parents of those that died however, so she had done her bit too!????

Benn had some odd opinions on a few things but he spoke his mind and was a man of conviction and not swayed by what might be popular, but what he believed to be important for the country as a whole and not necessarily to get him some votes.