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Tony Benn, whose death was just announced, was a foolish, foolish man and much worse. But he was right on this:
He was kinder about Lady Thatcher when she died than I have been about him and recorded:
Though I do not observe the nil nisi bono rule, most on the right do. The internet is littered with tributes from conservatives to their fallen arch-foe, as it was earlier this week with Tories praising Bob Crow. But then the Conservatives have many strong reasons to be grateful to Mr. Benn. He and General Galtieri won them the 1979 and 1983 general elections, though in 1983 Michael Foot could also take much credit.
It is Mr. Benn's real foes, in the Labour Party, who have reason to shudder at his memory. People like Denis Healey for example. Healey and the Labour Right of the 1970s were way to the left of people nowadays, on economic matters - the SDLP were too. Everyone even the loony left look right-wing now on social issues. Even Ken Livingstone did not contemplate homosexual marriage.
The best remark I read was made by someone I don't know called Paul Shankland on Facebook:
He wanted to nationalise a High Street bank I remember and Harold Wilson joked that he wanted to bring Marks and Spencer's up to the standard of the Co-op. I only learnt today that he very nearly got the telephone boxes of England painted yellow. It would not have mattered much, though, as under Margaret Thatcher the lovely red ones disappeared anyway and today such red telephone boxes as remain are mostly used as improvised urinals.
I had a liking for old Heffer, Benn's lieutenant, who had difficulties in speaking intelligible English. Heffer was a devout Christian and once began a speech with dissolved the House in laughter with the words:
"Britain's continuing membership of the Community would mean the end of Britain as a completely self-governing nation"May he be in heaven.
He was kinder about Lady Thatcher when she died than I have been about him and recorded:
"I remember her at the funeral of MP Eric Heffer. I was asked to make a speech and as I was waiting, there was someone behind me coughing. It was Mrs Thatcher, and at the end I thanked her for coming and she burst into tears. She had come out of respect for someone whose opinions she disagreed with.
Though I do not observe the nil nisi bono rule, most on the right do. The internet is littered with tributes from conservatives to their fallen arch-foe, as it was earlier this week with Tories praising Bob Crow. But then the Conservatives have many strong reasons to be grateful to Mr. Benn. He and General Galtieri won them the 1979 and 1983 general elections, though in 1983 Michael Foot could also take much credit.
It is Mr. Benn's real foes, in the Labour Party, who have reason to shudder at his memory. People like Denis Healey for example. Healey and the Labour Right of the 1970s were way to the left of people nowadays, on economic matters - the SDLP were too. Everyone even the loony left look right-wing now on social issues. Even Ken Livingstone did not contemplate homosexual marriage.
The best remark I read was made by someone I don't know called Paul Shankland on Facebook:
"Dear Tony Benn, rest in peace and thank you for so many years of wisdom. Anyone looking at Concorde or the Post Office today would agree that you were indeed a visionary."I do not have time to offer original insights into the man, but here is an earlier short post which says a lot.
He wanted to nationalise a High Street bank I remember and Harold Wilson joked that he wanted to bring Marks and Spencer's up to the standard of the Co-op. I only learnt today that he very nearly got the telephone boxes of England painted yellow. It would not have mattered much, though, as under Margaret Thatcher the lovely red ones disappeared anyway and today such red telephone boxes as remain are mostly used as improvised urinals.
I had a liking for old Heffer, Benn's lieutenant, who had difficulties in speaking intelligible English. Heffer was a devout Christian and once began a speech with dissolved the House in laughter with the words:
'My father, like Jesus Christ's, was a carpenter.'I liked this as I can say the same thing. We were even in Happy Families, Mr Wood, the carpenter, Mrs Wood the carpenter's wife, Miss Wood, the carpenter's daughter and I was Master Wood, the carpenter's son. I suppose Happy Families is now considered sexist and homophobic.
Tony Benn was foolish, Paul? What a loss for British politics. Would you say that Tony Blair and the New Labour brand were an improvement? Benn had a spine. May he rest in peace.
ReplyDelete-Joel
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2014/03/15/speaking-ill/
DeleteJoel I lived in England during the time when Benn was a very important political force for ill. He greatly helped the Conservative Party and he was right I see now to oppose entering the EEC but you should read up on what he advocated. He had few redeeming features. He was also a devious politician and not very clever, but this is normal for politicians. Fortunately he did little harm and much good by helping split his own party. Yes Mr Blair was an improvement vastly on Benn - in theory - but Blair by achieving power is responsible for many terrible things, the worst of which are mass immigration on an unprecedented scale, devolution, calamitous loss of sovereignty by signing further EU treaties and an unjust and unnecessary war in Iraq. I also dislike the way he sold out to the IRA.
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