Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:29 am  

Mintball wrote:

Made pretty much any politician in Westminster today look the intellectual pygmy that they are.

My thoughts exactly. With only a couple of exceptions, none of the current shower will be remembered in the same way (Grant Shapps anyone????)

Benn's 5 democratic questions, that I hadn't seen until today, are ones that we should continue to ask of politicians of any political persuasion.

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:12 am  

Chris28 wrote:

My thoughts exactly. With only a couple of exceptions, none of the current shower will be remembered in the same way (Grant Shapps anyone????)

It's a mark of the man that plenty of people, who disagreed with him ideologically, also recognised him as a serious intellect, as a committed, consistent and principled politician and as great Parliamentarian.

Schapps indeed – there are plenty more.

This comment from Francis Maude, on Benn, earlier today on Radio 4: "knew he was wrong, but couldn't fault the logic." Get your head around that one.

There are, of course, no shortage of idiots and careerists etc on the opposition benches either.

Chris28 wrote:

Benn's 5 democratic questions, that I hadn't seen until today, are ones that we should continue to ask of politicians of any political persuasion.

Absolutely.

For anyone who hasn't seem them:

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:42 pm  

I can't imagine Benn being a brown-noser, unlike so many career politicians nowadays.
Principled, but strangely odd in a fixed non-evolutionary way.
It was almost like he was born with his beliefs.
Clearly he wasn't, but you know what I mean.
I liked him, he was different, a throwback almost.
Now politicians are suits.

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:57 pm  

CORNISH wrote:

No gloating allowed as he was a Labour gobshite and only dead tories are allowed to be derided on here (see Bob Crow thread).
Carry on.

I don't gloat about death but you make a good point.

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 2:14 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

I don't gloat about death but you make a good point.

I'm sure that you – and Cornish – will be able to point to specific examples of censorship on either thread.

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 2:16 pm  

I liked Tony Benn. Despite his fruit bat loopy Leftist views, there was a decency and honesty about the man, who had the courage of his own convictions. A rare thing amongst todays Politicians.That those same convictions caused a major schism and alienated many within the Labour Party back in the 70/80s should not really be held against the guy. He was simply a maverick, marching to the beat of his own drum, and there must always be room for them.

The many eulogies being paid today are a fitting tribute to an educated guy, who always displayed the ability to listen and respect an opponents point of view, before debating the point.

The World of Politics is a poorer place today.

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 2:28 pm  

Mintball wrote:

I'm sure that you – and Cornish – will be able to point to specific examples of censorship on either thread.

Pay attention Old Girl. The word is gloating..... as shown in several posts by the rather strange people who hold a particular viewpoint on this forum. And incidentally, as expressed by that late unlamented shaven headed Union bully boy.

There was no mention of censorship that I recall.

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 2:36 pm  

rumpelstiltskin wrote:

Pay attention Old Girl. The word is gloating..... as shown in several posts by the rather strange people who hold a particular viewpoint on this forum. And incidentally, as expressed by that late unlamented shaven headed Union bully boy.

There was no mention of censorship that I recall.

I don't recall seeing any posts from someone who gloated over Margaret Thatcher's death demanding that nobody should gloat over Bob Crow's.

I did see disagreements over Crow himself, but that's far from being the same thing.

And if "no gloating was allowed", then it suggests censorship because how else would that be achieved on a forum such as this?

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:47 pm  

rumpelstiltskin wrote:

I liked Tony Benn. Despite his fruit bat loopy Leftist views, there was a decency and honesty about the man, who had the courage of his own convictions. A rare thing amongst todays Politicians.That those same convictions caused a major schism and alienated many within the Labour Party back in the 70/80s should not really be held against the guy. He was simply a maverick, marching to the beat of his own drum, and there must always be room for them.

The many eulogies being paid today are a fitting tribute to an educated guy, who always displayed the ability to listen and respect an opponents point of view, before debating the point.

The World of Politics is a poorer place today.

Loopy leftist views? Oh you mean all those things such as racial equality, gay rights etc.. that are all taken as being the norm these days!
I was fortunate to encounter Tony Benn twice in the last year, once in London and once on a beautiful summer's day in Tolpuddle in Dorset, such a great man!
A truly crap week for the left.

Re: TONY BENN DEAD : Fri Mar 14, 2014 4:42 pm  

One of the best politicians ever. A shame the "establishment"( the unelected power brokers) were able to vilify him through their rags and people were daft enough to believe all the guff.
A shame he never made PM.
A great HUMANITARIAN something very few politicians are these days.