Tony Benn has died

He went out of his way to be kind to the ordinary person who was not in the public gaze. We should have more with his principles in political life, whether you agree with his views or not.
Rest in peace, Tony.

I was lucky enough to walk with him and Hilary Benn in the Parade of Banners at the TUC Rally at Tolpuddle a few years ago - I also heard him speak at the Rally several times, and perform in concert with Roy Bailey. A truly inspirational man and a sad loss

A man of principle, a believer in human rights, he spoke out for the ordinary citizen. His speeches against war, his performance piece dealing with the history of the rights of man, his diaries all live on if only in our memory. We will not see his like again.

It is lovely reading all the tributes and hearing how many lives he touched. Lots of lovely tributes from people who met him on trains, at conferences and events. My own DD has written about how she heard him speak when she was doing politics A level, the impact his words had on her and the fact that she has never heard a better orator before or since. (She works in Westminster).

Another thing is that he was not afraid of dying. For years he'd wanted to be with Caroline. Every time he was ill, he was always surprised to be still alive when he woke up in the morning. When he went into hospital in 2009, he realised he was one of the few people alive who knew Aneurin Bevan.
He was still giving talks in 2009.
His last diary entry was thinking about death, and about how it would be natural. People would be sad, but he'd had his life.
He should have been Prime Minister. I cannot think of another politician we would pay to go and see. Glad we did.

Whether you agreed with his politics or not there was no doubting his sincerity. We need a few more like him today.

It is heartening to find a principled politician apparently without selfish ambition. Would that there were more like him.

I admired him greatly. I did not always agree with his politics, although there were several occasions when I did. He was a towering personality in politics and a man of integrity and principle.

a good man

RIP

A great.human being who transcended mere politics.

Started a similar thread just after you Jess so adding my comment here:-

"Just heard this news. I thought he would go on for ever. Rarely agreed with his views but he was some character and will be missed."

One of a kind. I aways liked Tony Benn, and his politics.

always found him great to watch and listen to when he was taking part in a discussion or interview. He had principles and beliefs that even if you were not a socialist it was possible to admire his commitment.

I agree with everything already said. Even if you did not agree with his politics he was a man of great moral principles and stuck to them.

I met him a number of times, he was a lovely person, endlessly compassionate and personally modest and charming.

But what a giant of politics. Today's politicians are are pale lot by comparison.

He was a great speaker, a great parliamentarian and a man who was true to his beliefs. There are not enough politicians with those virtues today. RIP.

We saw him speak during the miner's strike and thought him to be a really charismatic, compassionate man. I didn't agree with lots he said either but he was a man of conviction and there are not too many of those left!

I didn't agree with a lot of what he said, but he was a nice man with good intentions. Loved his diaries. Sad that he's gone - there just aren't the same outspoken characters in politics any more - those that were seemed to have been stifled of late and brought to heel.

How sad. A man of integrity and principles. There are few like him.