“my links with him are severed completely”
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Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn, known between 1960 and 1963 as The Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party politician and political activist who served as a Cabinet minister in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol South East and then Chesterfield for 47 of the 51 years between 1950 and 2001. He later served as President of the Stop the War Coalition from 2001 to…
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politics · British politician and activist (1925–2014) · politician · autobiographer · diarist · writer · also Tony Benn, Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn, Viscount Stansgate, 2nd Viscount Stansgate, Benn
Born 3 April 1925 · Died 14 March 2014 · Q332412
89 published statements · 0 followers
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Tony Benn on the causes of political apathy
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2026· 7 entries
“The power of industrialists and bankers to get their way by use of the crudest form of economic pressure, even blackmail, against a Labour Government”
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“stay off the buses, even if I have to find a bike”
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“All political freedoms were won, first of all, through religious freedom. Some of the arguments about the control of the media today, which are very big arguments, are the arguments that would have been fought in the religious wars. You have the satellites coming in now—well, it is the multinational church all over again. That”
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Public attention spiked: 3,959 Wikipedia readers in one day, 4.7× the usual 839, with 3 article edits.
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Public attention spiked: 3,670 Wikipedia readers in one day, 4.4× the usual 839, with 0 article edits.
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Public attention spiked: 4,671 Wikipedia readers in one day, 5.6× the usual 839, with 0 article edits.
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2024· 1 entry
The Guardian: The Searchers by Andy Beckett review – the leftists who took their lead from Tony Benn
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2021· 1 entry
The Guardian: Tony Benn’s son takes House of Lords seat renounced by his father
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2019· 1 entry
The Guardian: 'The most tremendous result': how Tony Benn celebrated losing to Denis Healey
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2014· 10 entries
Died 2014-03-14.
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“The [pay] policy is principally designed to hold down wages rather than to check inflation. Inflation is being used as an excuse to destroy free trade union bargaining.”
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“Britain is the only colony in the British Empire and it is up to us now to liberate ourselves.”
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“We want industry to be in the public sector, to change the power structure of our society...We have not yet carved out of public enterprise a wide enough area of management decision which ought properly to be brought within the ambit of the workers themselves.”
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“The flag of racialism which has been hoisted in Wolverhampton is beginning to look like the one that fluttered 25 years ago over Dachau and Belsen.”
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“There can be no greater friend of Israel in this House than I am. I say that quite sincerely. I have pressed that Israel should have arms in the present situation. I believe that if ever there was a case for it, it is today, with the massive supply of Russian war materials now going into Egypt, and that Israel should have more arms at once.”
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“It is we, on this side, who object to dreams of empire, because we think in terms of free association and we believe that the empire that was built up was based on force and domination by this country.”
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“The fines on the engineering union and the heavy damages that may be levied against the transport union go well beyond questions of economic policy and strike at the roots of free trade unionism. Conscientious objection to the law is not a criminal act. It is not the same as an attempt to overturn the Government and set up a new one, without elections, by the direct use of industrial strength.”
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“[Edward Heath], who sold out Britain's interests to the Common Market and gave our sovereignty away without our consent—with support of Mr Thorpe and the Liberals—is not entitled to wave the Union Jack to get himself out of the mess.”
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“What we lack in Government is entrepreneurial ability.”
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2013· 1 entry
Benn reiterated his previous opposition to European integration
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2012· 3 entries
And spent much of the following year in hospital
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Benn was awarded an honorary degree from Goldsmiths, University of London
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Transport House on Victoria Street, headquarters of Unite the Union's regional office, was officially renamed Tony Benn House and opened by Benn himself
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2011· 1 entry
Benn unveiled a plaque in Highbury, North London, to commemorate the Peasants' Revolt of 1381
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2010· 1 entry
That Blair had lost the "trust of the nation" regarding the war in Iraq
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2009· 2 entries
"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
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Benn was admitted to hospital and An Evening with Tony Benn, scheduled to take place at London's Cadogan Hall, was cancelled
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2007· 3 entries
And so the boundary changes did not take effect until the eventual election in 2010, when Benn was not a candidate and the new seat was won by Rifkind
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Appeared in an extended segment in the Michael Moore film Sicko giving comments about democracy, social responsibility and healthcare, saying "If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help peo
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“d like to have on my gravestone:”
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2006· 1 entry
Was voted twelfth in the list of "Heroes of our Time"
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2005· 2 entries
Suggested to Sinn Féin leaders that it abandon its long-standing policy of not taking seats at Westminster (abstentionism)
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That he was "a Christian agnostic" who believed "in Jesus the prophet, not Christ the king", specifically rejecting the label of "humanist"
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2003· 2 entries
His show with Bailey was voted 'Best Live Act' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
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Benn participated in the Royal Society of Chemistry's tasting event on how to make a cup of tea
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2002· 2 entries
Opened the "Left Field" stage at the Glastonbury Festival
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With the release of his 1990–2001 diaries
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1997· 2 entries
Career landmark: member of the 52nd Parliament of the United Kingdom (1997–2001).
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The Labour Party under the leadership of Tony Blair won the general election in a landslide, after 18 years of Conservative Party rule
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1996· 1 entry
And is dedicated to all who work within the Houses of Parliament
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1992· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the 51st Parliament of the United Kingdom (1992–1997).
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1991· 2 entries
With Labour still in opposition and a general election due by June 1992, he proposed the Commonwealth of Britain Bill, abolishing the monarchy in favour of the United Kingdom becoming a "democratic, federal and secular c
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Benn reiterated his opposition to the European Communities' European Commission and highlighted an alleged democratic deficit in the institution, saying: "Some people genuinely believe that we shall never get social just
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1990· 2 entries
Proposed a "Margaret Thatcher (Global Repeal) Bill", which he said "could go through both Houses in 24 hours
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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
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1988· 1 entry
Against Neil Kinnock, following Labour's third successive defeat in the 1987 general election, losing by a substantial margin, and received only about 11 per cent of the vote
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1987· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the 50th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1987–1992).
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1984· 2 entries
Saying: "The labour movement is not engaged in a personalised battle against individual cabinet ministers, nor do we seek to win public support by arguing that the crisis could be ended by the election of a new and more
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Career landmark: member of the 49th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1984–1987).
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1983· 2 entries
Was listed as "Tony Benn" and all references to his education or service record were removed
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And 1987, and became Labour MP for Leeds Central in 1999
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1980· 1 entry
(then in his 50s) and was reportedly distraught when the Chicago Town Deep Dish Triple Cheese Pizza he had eaten two of daily for years was discontinued
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1979· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the 48th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1979–1983).
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1978· 1 entry
Found that by large margins they supported Benn for the leadership, as well as many Bennite policies
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1976· 3 entries
When the International Monetary Fund secured cuts in our public expenditure
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Benn described Mao as "one of the greatest—if not the greatest—figures of the twentieth century: a schoolteacher who transformed China, released it from civil war and foreign attack and constructed a new society there" i
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There was a sterling crisis, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Denis Healey sought a loan from the International Monetary Fund
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1975· 2 entries
Career landmark: Secretary of State for Energy (1975–1979).
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Was appointed Secretary of State for Energy, immediately following his unsuccessful campaign for a "No" vote in the referendum on the UK's continued membership of the European Community (Common Market)
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1974· 3 entries
Career landmark: member of the 47th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1974–1979).
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Career landmark: member of the 46th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1974–1974).
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Career landmark: Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (1974–1975).
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1972· 2 entries
“Today I had the idea that I would resign my Privy Councillorship, my MA and all my honorary doctorates in order to strip myself of what the world had to offer”
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Benn said in his diaries that "Today I had the idea that I would resign my Privy Councillorship, my MA and all my honorary doctorates in order to strip myself of what the world had to offer"
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1971· 1 entry
When he visited the Upper Clyde Shipyards, arguing in 1975 for the "labour movement to intensify its discussion about industrial democracy"
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1970· 3 entries
All references to Westminster School were removed, and in the 1975 edition his entry stated: "Education—still in progress"
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For ethical reasons, and remained so for the rest of their lives
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Career landmark: member of the 45th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1970–1974).
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1966· 2 entries
Career landmark: member of the 44th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1966–1970).
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Career landmark: Minister of Technology (1966–1970).
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1964· 2 entries
Career landmark: Postmaster General of the United Kingdom (1964–1966).
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Career landmark: member of the 43rd Parliament of the United Kingdom (1964–1966).
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1963· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the 42nd Parliament of the United Kingdom (1963–1964).
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1961· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the 42nd Parliament of the United Kingdom (1961–1961).
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1960· 1 entry
Inherited his peerage, which prevented him from continuing to serve as an MP
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1959· 2 entries
Was elected to Labour's National Executive Committee, and in November that year was made Shadow Transport Minister by Hugh Gaitskell
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Career landmark: member of the 42nd Parliament of the United Kingdom (1959–1960).
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1958· 1 entry
Because of their support for nuclear weapons
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1955· 2 entries
When Eisenhower said he was going for 'Atoms for Peace' I became a passionate supporter of it
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Career landmark: member of the 41st Parliament of the United Kingdom (1955–1959).
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1951· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the 40th Parliament of the United Kingdom (1951–1955).
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1942· 2 entries
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
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As the new wartime coalition government was short of working Labour peers in the upper house
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1931· 1 entry
While his father was Secretary of State for India
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1928· 1 entry
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
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1925· 2 entries
Born 1925-04-03.
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Was rebuked by Randall Davidson, the Archbishop of Canterbury, for advocating the ordination of women
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1914· 1 entry
(and who founded a publishing company, Benn Brothers) and his maternal grandfather was Daniel Holmes, MP for Glasgow Govan
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