Tony Benn RIP
Mikey23
Posts: 5,306
I'm not a socialist but I can recognise a great man when I see one...
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Definitely, hope this thread doesn't descend into left vs right as he was a man of genuine integrity and intelligence and represents much that is great about our nation.0
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One of a rare breed, an honest politician, R.I.PPinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי0
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ditto to all of the aboveAll lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....0
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I generally agreed with him, but even when I didn't, he made me think. Sad day.0
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Not many politicians like him nowadays, a true socialist leftie who stood up for the little man.
Just waiting for Stevo and Frank the Tank to wade in, probably with very different views
"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
Disagreed fundamentally with his politics, but recognise that he was a brilliant speaker and stood up for his beliefs, so is deserving of respect.0
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RIP
At least you knew where you stood with him unlike these shit houses in now.0 -
Never diluted his politics to make himself popular like so many of the lightweights these days...0
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Like Thatcher, a signpost not a weathervane.
Not at lot else I can add, other than that Tony Benn was and remains a big influence on my politics. I'm sad to see him go and I will miss him."That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer0 -
He may have been wrong, but he wasn't confused.0
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I met Tony many times over the years and have spoken on platforms with him. He always made time to chat to ordinary people like me, and was never arrogant or full of himself. This was a man who knew Gandhi, Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Mandela, and countless other iconic global figures. He is a man who served in parliament with Winston Churchill and was in Harold Wilson's cabinet. The Sun ran front page hate campaigns against him for decades.
And yet, on the occasions I met him, he would always ask about me! If you disagreed with him, he would listen carefully and reply with a real answer. Whatever his shortcomings (and no human being is without them), he was always on the side of the people. He never tried to enrich himself or grab power for its own sake.
I feel like someone in my family has died. He touched so many people, he was like a British Mandela to me: part preacher-man, part icon, part father, part intellectual, part man-of-action. Above all else, in today's world of shameless soundbite politicians, he stands out as a man of integrity. May his spirit live on!Superstition begins with pinning race number 13 upside down and it ends with the brutal slaughter of Mamils at the cake stop.0 -
Southgate wrote:I met Tony many times over the years and have spoken on platforms with him. He always made time to chat to ordinary people like me, and was never arrogant or full of himself. This was a man who knew Gandhi, Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Mandela, and countless other iconic global figures. He is a man who served in parliament with Winston Churchill and was in Harold Wilson's cabinet. The Sun ran front page hate campaigns against him for decades.
And yet, on the occasions I met him, he would always ask about me! If you disagreed with him, he would listen carefully and reply with a real answer. Whatever his shortcomings (and no human being is without them), he was always on the side of the people. He never tried to enrich himself or grab power for its own sake.
I feel like someone in my family has died. He touched so many people, he was like a British Mandela to me: part preacher-man, part icon, part father, part intellectual, part man-of-action. Above all else, in today's world of shameless soundbite politicians, he stands out as a man of integrity. May his spirit live on!
That was a nice post.
I feel the same way, as if I have lost someone in my family, and I never had the privilege of meeting him.
I hope his spirit lives on, he has always been an inspiration to me.“If you do what always do, you'll get what you always get.”0 -
I always wanted to hear him speak and when I did, I was amazed at the man, great politician and human being.
Sadly missed RIP0 -
A great man and a politician of the old school, he stood for what he believed rather than for what might further his career. IMO he's one of the best prime ministers the country never had.
R.I.P. Tony Benn.Tail end Charlie
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.0 -
Great man. You got to be joking. An apologist for IRA Republicans amongst other things.0
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More relevant now than ever.
Purveyor of "up"
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Frank the tank wrote:A great man and a politician of the old school, he stood for what he believed rather than for what might further his career. IMO he's one of the best prime ministers the country never had.
R.I.P. Tony Benn.
He was the prime architect of the 1983 Labour manifesto. It would appear that your view of his philosophy was not shared by many of the electorate.
Mind you, credit where it's due, he helped to prevent Michael Foot and the Labour party being seen as a credible government.0 -
He was a man who debated issues and not personalities.
His kind are no more in British politics.
RIP indeed.You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.0 -
He was a democrat first and foremost so I doubt you disagreed with him completely.Ballysmate wrote:Disagreed fundamentally with his politics, but recognise that he was a brilliant speaker and stood up for his beliefs, so is deserving of respect.You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.0 -
I met him once outside Stratford Station, he was sitting on a suitcase watching the world go by. I stopped and chatted to him for a few minutes, he was more interested in me and my job than pushing any beliefs upon me. A real gentleman and an inspiration to me. I will miss him. RIP.Norfolk, who nicked all the hills?
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Like others, didn't necessarily agree with his politics but I always respect people who stick to their beliefs and defend them in a reasonable way.0
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At this rate his epitaph will be "At least I got a better send off on Bike Radar than Bob Crow." "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0
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So what?Ballysmate wrote:Frank the tank wrote:A great man and a politician of the old school, he stood for what he believed rather than for what might further his career. IMO he's one of the best prime ministers the country never had.
R.I.P. Tony Benn.
He was the prime architect of the 1983 Labour manifesto. It would appear that your view of his philosophy was not shared by many of the electorate.
Mind you, credit where it's due, he helped to prevent Michael Foot and the Labour party being seen as a credible government.
Michael Foot was of the same ilk as Tony Benn. He believed in what he stood for end of.
The electorate chose to reject those ideals, more fool them that is why we're in the sh1t we're in today. Just my opinion. No point debating it, it's pointless opinions will not be changed.Tail end Charlie
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.0 -
Southgate wrote:I met Tony many times over the years and have spoken on platforms with him. He always made time to chat to ordinary people like me, and was never arrogant or full of himself. This was a man who knew Gandhi, Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Mandela, and countless other iconic global figures. He is a man who served in parliament with Winston Churchill and was in Harold Wilson's cabinet. The Sun ran front page hate campaigns against him for decades.
And yet, on the occasions I met him, he would always ask about me! If you disagreed with him, he would listen carefully and reply with a real answer. Whatever his shortcomings (and no human being is without them), he was always on the side of the people. He never tried to enrich himself or grab power for its own sake.
I feel like someone in my family has died. He touched so many people, he was like a British Mandela to me: part preacher-man, part icon, part father, part intellectual, part man-of-action. Above all else, in today's world of shameless soundbite politicians, he stands out as a man of integrity. May his spirit live on!
Great post."That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer0 -
Southgate, you're a very fortunate person to have been able to write such a post, not many (if any others) on here would be able to make such a genuine heartfelt post.MaxwellBygraves wrote:Southgate wrote:I met Tony many times over the years and have spoken on platforms with him. He always made time to chat to ordinary people like me, and was never arrogant or full of himself. This was a man who knew Gandhi, Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Mandela, and countless other iconic global figures. He is a man who served in parliament with Winston Churchill and was in Harold Wilson's cabinet. The Sun ran front page hate campaigns against him for decades.
And yet, on the occasions I met him, he would always ask about me! If you disagreed with him, he would listen carefully and reply with a real answer. Whatever his shortcomings (and no human being is without them), he was always on the side of the people. He never tried to enrich himself or grab power for its own sake.
I feel like someone in my family has died. He touched so many people, he was like a British Mandela to me: part preacher-man, part icon, part father, part intellectual, part man-of-action. Above all else, in today's world of shameless soundbite politicians, he stands out as a man of integrity. May his spirit live on!
Great post.Tail end Charlie
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.0 -
Didn't like his politics. Respected him for not straying from his 'socialist grass roots'. However a socialist politician who lived in a £3m house is quite possibly at odds with what he stood for.Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.0
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Very sad to hear the news. Often saw him in London at major demonstrations, where he was always the best speaker. Wish I'd stopped to talk, now.
Tony Benn, London, March 2005.0 -
Anyway I imagine he inherited the house. Being a socialist doesn't mean you have to impoverish yourself if you happen to have inherited wealth either. Giving up his title was enough and more than most would do.johnfinch wrote:Mr Goo wrote:However a socialist politician who lived in a £3m house is quite possibly at odds with what he stood for.
Socialism doesn't mean everyone having exactly the same economically.0
