I note the passing of Tony Benn yesterday. I lived in England during the '70's decade, and watched with growing dismay the dismantling of the British car industry led by him and his ilk. Some of the grand old names of British motoring have survived (under foreign ownership), but many have just disappeared. As a boy, MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey were magic names to me--gone forever. Watching this debacle changed my political thoughts forever. He will not be missed by me.
I never shared his politics, but respect and admire that he was a politician who had real conviction and who remained true to his beliefs, something that is rare these days when they all seem to sway in the wind according to the opinion polls.
I hear what you're saying about the car and motorcycle industry, but in truth much of it was already twitching on it's deathbed when he was secretary of state for industry; years of complacency and lack of investment on the one side and crippling trade union behaviour on the other had doomed many of our fine old car and motorcycle manufacturers. Tony Benn's record at the department of Energy was rather more successful.
He was a fine orator too, and a pleasure to listen to, even if like me you disagreed with a lot of what he said. Our political scene will be the poorer without him.
I never shared his politics, but respect and admire that he was a politician who had real conviction and who remained true to his beliefs,....
He was a fine orator too, and a pleasure to listen to, even if like me you disagreed with a lot of what he said. Our political scene will be the poorer without him.
+1.
In many ways his hard left position helped Maggie win the support of the Country!
RIP Anthony, Viscount Stansgate.
Peter, 66, 2016 Porsche Boxster S No longer driving Tarka, the 2014 Plus 8...
I've had the pleasure of attending a couple of his lectures in the past and he was a brilliant orator. The last one, held at Malvern Theatre went on a couple of hours past it's finish time as he was really enjoying the questions from the audience. I didn't always agree with his political views but admired him for his conviction, sadly lacking in politicians these days.
Jays Former Morgan owner. Gone but hopefully not forgotten!
I never shared his politics, but respect and admire that he was a politician who had real conviction and who remained true to his beliefs, something that is rare these days when they all seem to sway in the wind according to the opinion polls.
I hear what you're saying about the car and motorcycle industry, but in truth much of it was already twitching on it's deathbed when he was secretary of state for industry; years of complacency and lack of investment on the one side and crippling trade union behaviour on the other had doomed many of our fine old car and motorcycle manufacturers. Tony Benn's record at the department of Energy was rather more successful.
He was a fine orator too, and a pleasure to listen to, even if like me you disagreed with a lot of what he said. Our political scene will be the poorer without him.
Yet again a great politician and orator passes on in much the same way that Enoch Powell was of the same ilk, albeit of a different hue we have been lucky to bear witness to these men of conviction. You don't have to share their political views but they made you want to listen, I for one can't remember the last politician of recent times I listened to particularly Blurr. As for Thatcher don't wish to remember anything really.
The late John Smith would be the exception I guess he seemed to have kept in touch with real people.
2009 4/4 Sport Henrietta 1999 Indigo Blue +8 2009 4/4 Sport Green prev 1993 Con Green +8 prev
May the memory of this deranged troublemaker fade gently into the indifference of eternity.
I think I was a little bit to young to understand the TB years of politics, but I certainly remember my father using similar sentences to the above with regard to him.
You know it makes sense! 
