Just heard I doubt we will see his like again. Not in my lifetime.

Heard him speak in Portsmouth once - amusingly in the Wedgewood Rooms. An inspirational bloke who will be deeply missed.

My late father always voted conservative and had little time for the labour party, but the one politician he respected more than any other was Tony Benn.

 

 

He was a politician of real integrity. R.I.P. Tony Benn. 

Another one of the old guard gone

 

I often wonder what old MPs are doing,

Douglas Herd, Jeffrey Howe, Norman Tebbit, Neil Kinnock etc ... 

(Neil Kinnock is in the other place, the House of Lords, he was speaking in a debate the other night)
That idiot Blunkett has just reminded me why I hate New Labour so much. He mentioned Benn's bitterness and refusal to modernise. But the whole point about Benn was his idea that you present the voters with a socialist alternative, and if they don't like it then so be it. Admittedly we would not have had a Labour government in the last thirty years but anything to save us from Blair, his men in suits, and Thatcher-lite.

Oh

 

I just feel very, very sad - obviously he wasn't going to be around forever but it feels like something special, unique and genuine has gone. He was a one off - a real man of principle. 

 

A Dr Seuss quote comes to mind.

 

 

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

 

 

 

.

Wasn't from a party I followed but was one of the few politicians I felt really really meant every thing he said and was fully dedicated to his ideals and they were always eloquently put so you had a sense he had researched well too, and most importantly without belittling those that didn't have the same ideals as he did.. 

 

I always felt that I could actually have a chat with the guy and not feel attacked just because we didn't agree on something. . Respect to the man... shame there aren't any left like him anymore..

I agree totally.  I once worked with a lady that had met him on several occasions and she really sang his praises.

R.I.P.

Genuine , principled man...pity there aren't more politicians like him ...,RIP Tony Benn 

I agree with Garage Joe that we are unlikely to see his like again. 

 

Question Time with Tony Benn on the panel was unmissable and I was pleased that he continued to be a thorn in the side of the New Labour 'suits' long after he retired from Parliament.

 

Hopefully there won't be a smoking ban in heaven so that he can enjoy a pipe with his cuppa when he arrives

He seemed like a great man who stuck by his beliefs and didn't go in for populist politics at the expense of his beliefs, he seemed like a true gentleman too.

 

The world feels like it's the poorer without him.

 

R.I.P Tony Benn.

 

 

 

This sums the man up.

I’m struggling to think of another politician that held my attention as Tony Benn did when he spoke.

 

RIP

 

Dennis Skinner! Least claimed expenses. attends the most votes and speaks from the heart. 

 

RIP Tony Benn, man of principles 

Modernise is one of those words like 'choice' and 'freedom' that has been utterly bastardised by the right wing. 

 

Modernise always means doing what the monied classes want, i.e. making things more market driven/profitable for shareholders and less communal/socialist. 

 

The thing is, there's absolutely nothing 'modern' about the cold hard (and rigged) market, it's been a source of poverty and inequality for centuries.

Yeah, he was great in that film: one of the main reasons for watching it...

Another great example of his political integrity and conviction. Not certain, but he's the only interviewee I remember who directly challenged Ali G...

 

I was thinking of him.

I've just listened to a very good interview by Stephen Nolan with Tony Benn from last December. Apart from a wee Freudian slip (saying Tony Blair, meaning Ed Milliband) it was just excellent.

Fantastic interview.  Agreed with every word Tony said.  Spot on in every analysis.

It's unfair to associate Ed Miliband with Tony Blair.  Ed has proven significant differences from Blair.  Future history may lump them together, but I hope it won't be able to.

I echo this.

Indeed… The Beast of Bolsover!

 

I’ve always quite enjoyed listening to Baroness Williams, also.