RIP Tony Benn

I just heard that Tony Benn has died. One of the very few government ministers to move to the Left as a result of his experience in office. When he retired from parliament, he said it was  to spend more time on politics. I remember meeting him at a small rally to support sacked trade unionists, the sort of small back street rally which would gain you no kudos with the press or the powerful, but he wanted to be present in solidarity. He had brought a little video camera to film interviews of the trade unionists. Born into an elite family, he managed to become just one of us.



Very frequently he came to Marxism conference in London to debate in a fraternal fashion with revolutionaries, who he did not agree with but who he recognized as essential comrades in every patient struggle, in the streets in the offices and in the factories.



I'm proud to have a signed copy of his diaries. A sad loss, but an inspiration to keep up the struggle and to make a difference.





Tony Benn, veteran Labour politician, dies aged 88 | Politics | theguardian.com

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