That same year, details of Tony Benn’s own apparent tax avoidance scheme were first published. ", Lucy Powell, one of the party's newest MPs added: "Very sorry to [32], Benn met Caroline Middleton DeCamp (born 13 October 1926, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States) over tea at Worcester College, Oxford, in 1949; just nine days after meeting her, he proposed to her on a park bench in the city. [4] Their father, William Wedgwood Benn, was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1906 who crossed the floor to the Labour Party in 1928 and was appointed Secretary of State for India by Ramsay MacDonald in 1929, a position he held until the Labour Party's landslide electoral defeat in 1931. Benn withdrew from the second ballot and endorsed Michael Foot; James Callaghan eventually won. Originally considered a moderate within the party, he was identified as belonging to its left wing after leaving ministerial office. Born Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn, he first entered parliament in He speaks his mind; Heath does not. ), I.B. However Benn's absence from parliament meant that he was unable to stand in the resulting leadership contest as only MPs were eligible to be candidates. The term "Bennite", generally understood to mean a radical left-wing position of corporatist but compassionate socialism, was derived from Benn's … Tony Benn died peacefully early this morning at his home in west He spoke to the demonstrators in the rally afterwards. Tony Benn, pictured in 1967, puffs on his pipe as he listens to speeches during the second day of the 66th annual Labour Party Conference, in Scarborough, England. [32] Despite this, Benn was overwhelmingly popular with Labour activists in the constituencies: a survey of delegates at the Labour Party Conference in 1978 found that by large margins they supported Benn for the leadership, as well as many Bennite policies. [176], There are substantial essays on Benn in the Dictionary of Labour Biography by Phillip Whitehead, Greg Rosen (eds), Politicos Publishing, 2001 (ISBN 978-1902301181) and in Labour Forces: From Ernie Bevin to Gordon Brown, Kevin Jefferys (ed. Would I have been a freedom fighter or a terrorist? He emerged, however, as one of the most respected MPs of the In the Labour government of 1974–1979, he returned to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Industry and subsequently served as Secretary of State for Energy. recently and  “as I left he said to me 'Well, old son. [9] He asserted that the teachings of Jesus Christ had a "radical political importance" on his life, and made a distinction between the historical Jesus as "a carpenter of Nazareth" who advocated social justice and egalitarianism and "the way in which he's presented by some religious authorities; by popes, archbishops and bishops who present Jesus as justification for their power", believing this to be a gross misunderstanding of the role of Jesus. Does bombing strengthen their determination? He made public several episodes of audio diaries he made during his time in Parliament and after retirement, entitled The Benn Tapes, broadcast originally on BBC Radio 4. I mean, I disagreed with most of what he said. [177], On 5 March 2019, it was announced that a large political archive of Benn's speeches, diaries, letters, pamphlets, recordings and ephemera had been accepted in lieu of £210,000 inheritance tax and allocated to the British Library. If any of these women have been trafficked ... they deserve protection and resources, not punishment by expulsion. [99] Benn's absence from the contest was reported by The Glasgow Herald to leave Neil Kinnock as"the favourite Left-wing candidate. [167] His body was then cremated; the ashes were expected to be buried alongside those of his wife at the family home near Steeple, Essex.[168]. The former prime minister Gordon Brown also paid tribute to a “ Speaking to the Oxford Union on the alleged overshadowing of the EU debate by "UKIP and Tory backbenchers", he said: I took the view that having fought [Europeans in the Second World War] that we should now work with them, and co-operate, and that was my first thought about it. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. He attributed this political shift to his experience as a Cabinet Minister in the 1964–1970 Labour Government. Upon taking the oath on 4 December 1950[47] Benn became "Baby of the House", the youngest MP, for one day, being succeeded by Thomas Teevan, who was two years younger but took his oath a day later. [16] Wilby also wrote in The Guardian that although former Chancellor Stafford Cripps described Benn as "as keen a Christian as I am myself", Benn wrote in 2005 that he was "a Christian agnostic" who believed "in Jesus the prophet, not Christ the king", specifically rejecting the label of "humanist". Whether We will not allow such injustice to go unchallenged. Benn automatically became a peer, preventing him from sitting in the House of Commons. Anthony Tony Neil Wedgwood Benn, PC, früher 2. The son of a Liberal and later Labour Party politician, Benn was born in Westminster and privately educated at Westminster School. driving force behind the decision to hold the first referendum in Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. [139] In October 2007, aged 82, and when it appeared that a general election was about to be held, Benn reportedly announced that he wanted to stand, having written to his local Constituency Labour Party offering himself as a prospective candidate for the newly drawn Kensington seat. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The citizen is far less likely to be impacted by the decisions of dukes or bishops than by those of Nice or his local education authority. His mother's theology had a profound influence on Benn, as she taught him that the stories in the Bible were based around the struggle between the prophets and the kings and that he ought in his life to support the prophets over the kings, who had power, as the prophets taught righteousness. Because UBM was considering a move to Ireland for tax purposes! [188] He was described as "one of the few UK politicians to have become more left-wing after holding ministerial office". “Tony Benn spoke his mind and spoke up for his values. Benn said that he would "stay off the buses, even if I have to find a bike", and Labour leader Harold Wilson also told an anti-apartheid rally in London he was "glad that so many Bristolians are supporting the [boycott] campaign", adding that he "wish[ed] them every success". Tony Benn was one of the twentieth century's most charismatic politicians. He won the seat in a by-election on 30 November 1950. He was Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007, and then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs until 2010, later serving as Shadow Foreign Secretary (2015–16). This power was revealed even more clearly in 1976 when the International Monetary Fund secured cuts in our public expenditure. inspirational speaker and person: will be deeply missed. more time on politics". American Michael Moore dedicates his book Mike's Election Guide 2008 (ISBN 978-0141039817) to Benn, with the words: "For Tony Benn, keep teaching us". [145], At the Stop the War Conference 2009, he described the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as "Imperialist war(s)" and discussed the killing of American and allied troops by Iraqi or foreign insurgents, questioning whether they were in fact freedom fighters, and comparing the insurgents to a British Dad's Army, saying: "If you are invaded you have a right to self-defence, and this idea that people in Iraq and Afghanistan who are resisting the invasion are militant Muslim extremists is a complete bloody lie. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Tony Benn. [171][172], Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg called Benn an "astonishing, iconic figure" and a "veteran parliamentarian, he was a great writer, he had great warmth and he had great conviction ... his political life will be looked back on with affection and admiration".[172]. The House had better be very careful before it gives to judges, who come from a narrow section of society, the power to interpret "promote". [38], Two of Benn's children have been active in Labour Party politics. "[32] In October 1973, he announced on BBC Radio that he wished to be known as Mr. Tony Benn rather than Anthony Wedgwood Benn,[36] and his book Speeches from 1974 is credited to "Tony Benn". It was a mistake."[79]. The "Gang of Four" left the Labour Party because of what they perceived to be the influence of the Militant tendency and the Bennite "hard left" within the party. [51], Benn's father was created Viscount Stansgate in 1942 when Winston Churchill increased the number of Labour peers to aid political work in the House of Lords; at this time, Benn's elder brother Michael, then serving in the RAF, was intending to enter the priesthood and had no objections to inheriting a peerage. Benn supported various LGBT social movements, which were then known as gay liberation;[107] Benn had voted in favour of decriminalisation in 1967. long, full and inspiring life and so proud of his devotion to [133], On 27 September 2005, Benn became ill while attending the annual Labour Party Conference in Brighton and was taken by ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital after being treated by paramedics on-the-scene at the Brighton Centre. [17], Both of Benn's grandfathers were Liberal Party MPs; his paternal grandfather was John Benn, a successful politician, MP for Tower Hamlets and later Devonport, who was created a baronet in 1914 (and who founded a publishing company, Benn Brothers),[18] and his maternal grandfather was Daniel Holmes, MP for Glasgow Govan. [2] He had two brothers, Michael (1921–1944), who was killed in the Second World War, and David (1928–2017), a specialist in Russia and Eastern Europe. [108] Talking about Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act, a piece of anti-gay legislation preventing the "promotion of homosexuality", Benn said: if the sense of the word "promote" can be read across from "describe", every murder play promotes murder, every war play promotes war, every drama involving the eternal triangle promotes adultery; and Mr. Richard Branson's condom campaign promotes fornication. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. "We will miss above all his love which has sustained us [88] A supporter of the Scottish Parliament and political devolution, Benn however opposed the Scottish National Party and Scottish independence, saying: "I think nationalism is a mistake. Tony Benn was for decades the most independent-minded, powerful and passionate voice of the hard-left at Westminster, and the man whose crusading zeal led to the new law which allowed him to renounce his own peerage and return to the House of Commons. Labour MPs took to the social network to pay warm tributes. Whatever your thoughts on death may be, I hope you enjoy these random humorous quotes about mortality, death, … Later in his diary, (25 October 1977) Benn wrote that he "loathed" the EEC; he claimed it was "bureaucratic and centralised" and "of course it is really dominated by Germany. In the 1950s, Benn held middle-of-the-road or soft left views, and was not associated with the young left wing group around Aneurin Bevan. I'm not ashamed of making mistakes. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. He retained that post when James Callaghan succeeded Wilson as Prime Minister. hear the sad news about Tony Benn. During the Gulf War, Benn visited Baghdad in order to try and persuade Saddam Hussein to release the hostages who had been captured.[106]. Conservative leader and Prime Minister David Cameron said: ... he was an extraordinary man: a great writer, a brilliant speaker, extraordinary in Parliament, and a great life of public and political and parliamentary service. Best dedicated years of priceless effort for the greater good of his team. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. A British MP for 50 years, the veteran statesman was loved and loathed - but he was the champion of the left. His eldest son Stephen was an elected Member of the Inner London Education Authority from 1986 to 1990. Twitter: "Tony Benn was a magnificent writer, speaker and Benn received tumultuous applause. [12]) "The driving force of his life was Christian socialism," according to Peter Wilby, linking Benn to the "high-minded" founding roots of Labour. roundly despised, paid a fulsome tribute to Benn’s stature as a [10] He believed that it was a "great mistake" to assume that the teachings of Christianity are outdated in modern Britain,[10] and Higgins wrote in The Benn Inheritance that Benn was "a socialist whose political commitment owes much more to the teaching of Jesus than the writing of Marx". Benn returned to the Commons after winning a by-election on 20 August 1963. [53], Benn continued his campaign outside Parliament. street fighter', You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. After 1979, when Tony Benn was running a campaign to pull the Labour Party to the left, and had his sights on the party leadership, Meacher was so important to the cause … [98], For the 1983 election Benn's Bristol South East constituency was abolished by boundary changes, and he lost to Michael Cocks in the selection of a candidate to stand in the new winnable seat of Bristol South. Foot resigned as leader following the defeat which reduced Labour to only 209 MPs, while Healey also decided to step down as deputy leader. I've made a million mistakes and they're all in the diary. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. A more recent "semi-authorised" biography with a foreword by Benn was published in 2001: David Powell, Tony Benn: A Political Life, Continuum Books (ISBN 978-0826464156). [111] In 1992, Tony Benn also received a Pipe Smoker of the Year award, claiming in his acceptance speech that "pipe smoking stopped you going to war". I'm proud to have been in the parliament that introduced the health service, the welfare state and voted against means testing. When we edit the diary—which is cut to around 10 per cent—every mistake has to be printed because people look to see if you do. Wilson, the first of a series of Labour leaders to clash with Benn, Anthony Wedgwood Benn, MP (1964 – October 1973), The Rt Hon. And I think that's why he was admired right across the political spectrum. [157], In 1990, Benn was diagnosed with chronic lymphatic leukaemia and given three or four years to live; at this time, he kept the news of his leukaemia from everyone except his immediate family. Having been in charge of nuclear power I discovered it wasn’t cheap, wasn’t safe and when I left office I was told that during my period as Secretary of State for Energy, plutonium from our nuclear power stations went to the Pentagon to make nuclear weapons. The death of Tony Benn is devastating to me, obviously to his family and to millions all around Britain and the world who recognized him as a friend, … Caroline Benn died of cancer on 22 November 2000, aged 74, after a career as an educationalist. [32] While he acknowledged that he "might be ridiculed" for doing so,[35] Benn said that "'Wedgie Benn' and 'the Rt Honourable Anthony Wedgwood Benn' and all that stuff is impossible. and 2013 with Afshin Rattansi on RT UK, Benn claimed that the actions of New Labour in the leadup to and aftermath of the Iraq War were such that the former Prime Minister Tony Blair should be tried for war crimes. [19] Benn's contact with leading politicians of the day, dates back to his earliest years. In 2001 Benn stepped down from parliament in order to "spend Aren't Iraqis terrified? He made several unsuccessful attempts to renounce the succession. He argued that traditional social democratic values were under threat in an increasingly globalised world in which powerful institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Commission are unelected and unaccountable to those whose lives they affect daily. [161][162][163], Benn's funeral took place on 27 March 2014 at St Margaret's Church, Westminster. The death of Tony Benn is devastating to me, obviously to his family and to millions all around Britain and the world who recognised him as a friend, an honest man, and someone who passionately believed in the cause of socialism and humanity. Nothing in the world would now induce me to support nuclear power. [63], The mainstream press attacked Benn for using language deemed as intemperate as Powell's language in his "Rivers of Blood" speech (which was widely regarded as racist),[63] and Benn noted in his diary that "letters began pouring in on the Powell speech: 2:1 against me but some very sympathetic ones saying that my speech was overdue". November 1950 and served in the cabinet under Harold Wilson and Jim Benn was the first peer to renounce his title, doing so at 6.22 pm that day. The final proof of Powell's power is that Heath dare not attack him publicly, even when he says things that disgust decent Conservatives. At the time, a police spokesman said: "As far as we know, this is the biggest simultaneous crackdown on brothels and prostitution in this country in recent times", the arrest of 28 people in an operation that involved around 110 police officers. [81], Benn's philosophy consisted of a form of syndicalism, state planning where necessary to ensure national competitiveness, greater democracy in the structures of the Labour Party and observance of Party Conference decisions. The audio recordings total to thousands of hours of content.[178]. leader in 1981, and was instrumental in party's 1983 manifesto. the 1983 election, and suffered its worst post-war defeat. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. [15] Although Benn became more agnostic as he became older, he was intrigued by the interconnections between Christianity, radicalism and socialism. Benn ascribed his move to the left to four lessons: As regards the power of industrialists and bankers, Benn remarked: Compared to this, the pressure brought to bear in industrial disputes by the unions is minuscule. As he highlighted, these minutes resulted in the 1931 split of the Labour Party in which MacDonald and his allies formed a National Government with Conservatives and Liberals. The final volume was published in 2013. The veteran Labour politician and iconic figure of the left Tony Benn has died this morning at his home in west London, his family has said. I advocated nuclear power as Minister of Technology. I joined Dad's Army when I was sixteen, and if the Germans had arrived, I tell you, I could use a bayonet, a rifle, a revolver, and if I'd seen a German officer having a meal I'd have tossed a grenade through the window. Harold Best Death | Harold Best Obituary – Former MP for Leeds North WestHarold Best sadly passed away, Harold Best was known to be an amazing person he contributed passionately to his team and community. [75] In the resulting leadership contest Benn finished in fourth place out of the six cabinet ministers who stood—he withdrew as 11.8 per cent of colleagues voted for him in the first ballot. [77][78] When asked in an interview in January 2009 on what he had changed his mind on over the course of his life he expanded on this issue by saying: "Nuclear power, for example. His second son Hilary was a councillor in London, stood for Parliament in 1983 and 1987, and becoming Labour MP for Leeds Central in 1999. It did not give a cause for death. (31 July – 20 August 1963), Anthony Wedgwood Benn, Esq., MP (20 August 1963 – 1964), The Rt Hon. The University of Glamorgan, Wales Denis Healey sought a loan from the `` left Field '' stage at people! 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