Brilliant, vocal, committed, unwavering, principled Labour Party leader of Britain Tony Benn has died. Britain’s daily newspaper The Guardian has reported his death. First becoming a Labour Party Member of Parliament in 1950, he was the youngest MP at 25.
For those of us who lived through the terrible years of Margaret Thatcher followed by John Major as Prime Ministers and their work with Ronald Reagan to break unions and movements for social justice on both sides of the Atlantic, Tony Benn was a clear and loud voice of defiance, democracy, and social justice. During Parliament Question Time, Tony Benn repeatedly challenged both Thatcher and Major on their assaults on unions and destruction of the Welsh mine workers union, privatization of the railroads, and the repeated attempts to destroy the National Health Service.
Tony Benn never wavered in his dedication to economic and social justice in Britain and in the world. He served in several ministerial roles during Labour Party governments and as a Member of Parliament for decade after decade. He narrowly lost his campaign to become leader of the Labour Party to Neil Kinnock of Wales in the 1980′s.
Benn struggled and spoke mightily and tirelessly against Britain’s involvement in the Iraq War.
The Guardian newspaper described Benn as a lodestar. To me, Tony Benn was a model of political courage, commitment, and determination regardless of the direction of the political winds and personal ambition. He believed what he believed, stood for what he believed, and fought for what he believed–democracy, workers rights, economic and social justice, and peace.
Tony Benn was a model of a political leader who put his values before his ambition. I am grateful for his model.
Photo source: Ben Sutherland on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)