Thirty years ago I regarded Tony Benn as the greatest threat to Britain outside the Soviet Union. Nowadays we agree on Europe, the constitution and threats to civil liberties. I interviewed him last week for the next issue of Total Politics in the endearingly ramshackle basement office of his Holland Park home. I don't go in for Paxman-style interviewing but I quickly learned that you have to challenge some of Tony's wilder assertions. "Thatcher made trade unions illegal." Er, no, she didn't actually. "The Soviet Union posed no military threat." Come again? On most subjects he is incredibly persuasive and it is easy to see why he continues to fill theatres up and down the country. But he still attracts incredible bitterness from those on the Labour right who blame him for the party's 18 years in opposition. When I solicited questions for the interview on my blog I was taken aback by the venom unleashed by people who are normally quite meek and mild. He clearly has something in common with Israel.If you'd like to read the whole interview, and I promise you, it's worth it, click HERE.
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Friday, January 23, 2009
When Iain Dale Met Tony Benn
Earlier this month I interviewed Tony Benn for Total Politics. Here's how I described the experience in last week's New Statesman...
A wonderful interview and very insightful. His comments about global democracy and the large international agencies that operate outside of them deserve to provoke debate.
ReplyDeleteA fascinating interview. Respectful yet all the more revealing for it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Friday so I'm feeling charitable. It is Tories like you sir that make Labour members like me not entirely despairing at the thought of your party coming to power.
I do respect Tony Benn's views. I do think he is a fine example of champagne socialist, but that's for another day. However, I do believe he is a staunch advocate of democracy, and I have no doubt he would defend our right to dictate our beliefs. I don't believe he is a closet communist.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great interview Iain providing a good insight into some of the issues surroundfing the man and his career.
ReplyDeleteI hope that he gets his book together for it will probably be the closest we get to an auto biography.
He is correct about the EU and democratic freedoms.
ReplyDeleteBut he has to be right about something and the rest of his views and the constant repetition of downright lies as fact - to justify his flights of fancy - show him to be quite demented.
I don't agree with his politics but think he's a man of principle - rare these days.
ReplyDeleteNot yet read the interview but I've only met Benn once. I was introduced to him by a fellow councillor, Vic Turner. Vic, a staunch socialist and Trade Unionist, told Benn that I'd just recently crossed the floor from Labour to the Tories. It didn't phase him one bit, and he was extremely receptive to, and agreed with, my views of the dangers of "one party fiefdoms" such as Labour run Newham.
ReplyDeleteVery good and enjoyable interview Iain, thank you and congratulations.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I think (smile) he slightly got the better of you on the global democracy points. I think it's clear that the issue is not as simple as "being ruled by the Chinese". But even if it is that simple, it's worth noting that the British Empire ruled and exploited them (most sickeningly via the deliberate and forced introduction of a mass addiction to Opium) so one can only marvel at their sense of logic and forebearance in return.
Anyway, a cracking interview and having the sort of breadth and intelligence of political conversation that you encourage is one of the things that makes your blog stand out above the others.