Tony Benn who died yesterday was a Labour MP in the UK for many years, before that he was a hereditary peer who insisted on relinquishing his peerage so he could stay in the House of Commons. For people who want to know what an actual Socialist looks like, this was the genuine article.
He never achieved significant power but by his consistency and unrelenting advocacy for the less well-off, he achieved much by the power of the spotlight he brought to bear on injustice and in the Thatcher era, he was perhaps the greatest voice setting out the compassionate alternative.
He kept a diary for most of his active life in politics which is fascinating and his passing marks the end of an era for a lot of folks on the left in the UK
I don't want to try and draw parallels with politics here, but I thought there might be a few people here who would be interested in a towering figure of the European left. That said,we really don't have in either party anyone like this here but if you did want a parallel I think Sen. Sanders would be the closest. In any event, sorry if this isn't really a proper diary but this is what a genuinely principled politician of the left looks look. RIP Tony.
Head over to BBC news if you want to learn more about him.