RIP Tony Benn

The last of the British conviction politicians died on Friday. Reading his diaries it’s clear that Tony Benn was driven, not by personal ambition, but by political conviction and clarity of vision. He never wavered, never compromised, never lost his way, ethically or politically.

He resisted Labour’s courtship of corporations and refused to prostitute his principles in a bid for power. He doggedly opposed the re branding of “New Labour” & recognised it as a sinister sop to the right & a betrayal of the working classes. He remained true to his values to the end.

His words & presence were always inspiring. I’ve chosen just one quote (below) but would highly recommend his incisive, warm, wise & witty diaries:

"For our greatest enemy is the fear that our opponents seek to instil in our minds to force us to accept the unacceptable, and so to paralyse our will and render us incapable of thinking out the alternative or working to bring it about,"

He added: "We all have it in our power to deny them that victory and to establish a better society by our own efforts, provided that we remember our own history and the lessons of unity and courage that it teaches us."

The loss of Tony Benn leaves a gaping hole at the heart of [what’s left of ] British democracy. He'll be sadly missed.