A great deal of what Tony Benn stood for were the very things that made Labour unelectable, and what the party led by Neil Kinnock sought to remove in the 80's. For most of the 80's, 90's and noughties he was at best seen as an elder statesman of something long since passed. I recall a debate on blasphemy, where the debate revolved around whether the law should be repealed or extended to include other faiths such as Islam. His case was that his belief in socialism was as deep and profound as any Christian or Muslims faith, and nobody felt the need to protect socialists from ridicule. Why should religions be given special treatment. It was a well made point but at the time somebody talking about believing in socialism in that way felt as bronze age as the religions present.
The recession, loss of faith in the Thatcher/Blair capitalism and the Iraq war gave Benn's profile as bounce late in life, often from a generation who were too young to remember him as a potential party leader.
In the mid 80's I heard him speak a few times, when the tide was already against him. Looking back, its hard to imagine him as a politician in the modern world. Largely because when he spoke he spoke to our best intentions not our meanest fears and prejudice. The spiteful debates around immigration or hard working families, where the Party leaders compete to appeal to our worst instincts are so far from Benn's relentless optimism about people. A friend posted on facebook an inscription Benn had written in one of his books. It read 'The best is yet to be.' In the mouth of Cameron, Clegg or Milliband this would sound like an election slogan to go down with all the other words they devalue. From Benn it was a sincere statement of belief in all of us. And for that, whatever his political weaknesses, I mourn his passing.
The recession, loss of faith in the Thatcher/Blair capitalism and the Iraq war gave Benn's profile as bounce late in life, often from a generation who were too young to remember him as a potential party leader.
In the mid 80's I heard him speak a few times, when the tide was already against him. Looking back, its hard to imagine him as a politician in the modern world. Largely because when he spoke he spoke to our best intentions not our meanest fears and prejudice. The spiteful debates around immigration or hard working families, where the Party leaders compete to appeal to our worst instincts are so far from Benn's relentless optimism about people. A friend posted on facebook an inscription Benn had written in one of his books. It read 'The best is yet to be.' In the mouth of Cameron, Clegg or Milliband this would sound like an election slogan to go down with all the other words they devalue. From Benn it was a sincere statement of belief in all of us. And for that, whatever his political weaknesses, I mourn his passing.
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