Tony Benn (1925-2014)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sorry, Bryn.

[Stillhomewardbound]

That is well said, in the main, though I'd have to take issue with the view of Ben as pro the Soviet Union

No, my inference was not a reflection on his views vis a vis the soviet union and communism. Rather I was illustrating what I often perceived as his naif posturing and, it could be said, the willingness with which he made fanciful assertions safe in the knowledge that they'd never be stress-tested.

Moving on, in that DID I think, he spoke very movingly about the deep impression left by the the death of his brother in the Second World War.

[Tevot]

Hello there

I'd agree with SHB's eloquent comments here and indeed his further post #47.

We can perhaps remember that many in the late 1930's through the 1940's were members of the Communist Party (my mum joined the YCL as a 14 year old in 1941 in Glasgow) So Healey's early affiliation to The Party (mentioned by Serial Apologist) can perhaps be understandable. Healey quickly changed his views after WW2 and became a leading analyst on foreign affairs / nuclear policy. By this time - he had no illusions about the Soviets.

Re Alpensinfonie's post about Benn and the Falklands War. It is on record that Britain planned to strike the Argentinian city of Cordoba if necessary.

But if we may return to Tony Benn. He, I believe, stood for good.

I see little of it in British politics today.

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Serial_Apologist]

Hello there

I'd agree with SHB's eloquent comments here and indeed his further post #47.

We can perhaps remember that many in the late 1930's through the 1940's were members of the Communist Party (my mum joined the YCL as a 14 year old in 1941 in Glasgow) So Healey's early affiliation to The Party (mentioned by Serial Apologist) can perhaps be understandable. Healey quickly changed his views after WW2 and became a leading analyst on foreign affairs / nuclear policy. By this time - he had no illusions about the Soviets.

Re Alpensinfonie's post about Benn and the Falklands War. It is on record that Britain planned to strike the Argentinian city of Cordoba if necessary.

But if we may return to Tony Benn. He, I believe, stood for good.

I see little of it in British politics today.

Best Wishes,

Tevot

Very fair comments.

Interesting R4 programme on Benn after Any Answers today, presented by David Davies. It was almost as much about DD as about TB for understandable reasons, given that both believed in getting Britain out of the EU, but anyone would think from DD's comments that nothing had happened to put his own kind of politics and economics in question since 2008.

[amateur51]

Very fair comments.

Interesting R4 programme on Benn after Any Answers today, presented by David Davies. It was almost as much about DD as about TB for understandable reasons, given that both believed in getting Britain out of the EU, but anyone would think from DD's comments that nothing had happened to put his own kind of politics and economics in question since 2008.

Fair points, S_A. It was a much better balanced programme than I'd feared when I started listening, not entirely uncritical thank goodness.

I encountered this programme quite by accident and I'm jolly glad that I did.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zqmw3

[Boilk]

Last interview Tony Benn gave, December 2013...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Re Alpensinfonie's post about Benn and the Falklands War. It is on record that Britain planned to strike the Argentinian city of Cordoba if necessary.

What? With nukes?

[Stillhomewardbound]

There's an excellent survey of Tony Benn's life in politics by the Conservative MP, David Davis*, who knew Benn well as a friend and colleague.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zqmw3

(*In this programme a revelation to me as a most natural broadcaster)

[Petrushka]

Benn was in the same RAF squadron as my late father, but later on, after the war. I met TB at a book signing at Collett's Bookshop in London in 1980 and once more in, of all places, HMV Oxford Street a few years ago.