Guest post from Louise Mensch: "Tony Benn represented something truly valuable in the world"

[MumsnetGuestPosts]

I was so sad to hear - via Mumsnet in fact - of the death of Tony Benn, a man I never actually met. I did once tell his son Hillary, a Labour MP, how much I admired his father - but that was a close as I got.

Tony Benn represented something truly valuable in the world. He acted on what he believed. For his love of socialism, he was prepared to walk away from a peerage, and even from the nobility of his family name. No longer Viscount Stansgate, he wouldn't even allow people to call him Anthony Wedgewood-Benn - he was to be "Tony Benn". And so he remained, until he died.

There was that rumpled, brilliant look about the man that is so endearing to our clever, messy nation. Like JRR Tolkien, whom he resembled, he loved to smoke a pipe; a particularly English vice. He drank tea, and was well-read. He seems never to have regretted walking away from "my Lord" and the bowing and scraping of the era.

Benn also possessed, as well as conviction, a great generosity of spirit. His respect and affection for Margaret Thatcher showed him to be a man who understood that political opposition does not have to, and should not, equal enmity (more Labour MPs wrote me kind notes after I resigned my seat than Conservative ones, by the way). Benn said of Thatcher "she was a signpost, not a weathervane". That was why he respected her; and it is why I respected him.

He had convictions; he lived those convictions. He was true to himself, bright, and kind. He was raised by a feminist mother, and it showed, in the best possible way. Labourlist drew my attention to his generous piece on Thatcher which told this story:

"I remember her at the funeral of MP Eric Heffer. I was asked to make a speech and as I was waiting, there was someone behind me coughing. It was Mrs Thatcher, and at the end I thanked her for coming and she burst into tears. She had come out of respect for someone whose opinions she disagreed with."

I believe that there are a great many MPs and commentators who did not share any of Benn's beliefs, but who realise today that in him, we have lost a national treasure; a genuine servant of the people, who did not need to be a nobleman, to be a noble man. May many of us involved in politics on all sides learn from his lessons of authenticity, humility, generosity, and kindness.

Really? Below the line?

I'm amazed if everyone on this thread who did not like the piece has had their comments dismissed as 'below the line'. The arrogance!

Not sure whom you're addressing, louise?

Re vacuous - you think you are demonstrating outstanding intellectual prowess on this thread? It might have helped your case if you did more that two minutes research for your eulogy. Out of interest - have you read any of Benn's diaries or speeches? Ever saw him address a meeting? I am hoping you have. Surely nobody would agree to write a 'tribute' about a major figure they were in ignorance of.

@Badvoc

Justine... Not as squeamish as those of us reading that post felt, I assure you! Is this thread really what MNHQ want people to read when discussing the late Tony Benn? That saddens me. (And you won't get round me by promising a chat with animal --or gonzo- either!)

We're not so ridiculous as to think folks will only read about Tony Benn on Mumsnet - of course it was just part of the mix. We marked the occasion with a piece from a writer in our bloggers' network who happened to respect and admire a man from across the political divide - it wasn't meant to be the final word.

I think I referred to the article as vacuous (can't remember as I am very stupid and have never been to a RG uni.)
I commented on the piece not the writer.
Hate the sin and not the sinner and all that but your recent postings really aren't helping your cause.

The occasion was already being marked by genuine, informed and heartfelt postings from mumsnetters Justine. As you all at HQ knew because it was immediately one of the topics of the day.

I'm just staggered really by the thought processes here. Honestly did you think this would end well?

@ThePowerOfNo

You've had Caroline Lucas on here at least twice for webchats. She's just about the most well respected politician in the house of commons at present, & she's not Labour - you could have asked her to write something!

She's not in our bloggers' network, so I doubt she would have said yes, but she might, I suppose. It wouldn't have had the political adversary angle. I think it would on balance have been a less interesting choice, but obviously it's all about opinions...

@Northernlurker

The occasion was already being marked by genuine, informed and heartfelt postings from mumsnetters Justine. As you all at HQ knew because it was immediately one of the topics of the day.

I'm just staggered really by the thought processes here. Honestly did you think this would end well?

Why not have more perspectives, though? We have a bloggers' network - they wanted to add their slant. It's not either, or.

Re-reading the thread - and obviously, I can't see the deleted posts, but I do think those were zapped pretty quickly, which is right - no-one called Ms Mensch 'vacuous' until she claimed she'd been called it. A couple of people referred to the blog in that way, but she was actually the first to pretend she'd been personally attacked. Which is rather poor.

Tony Benn was a retired career politician, still active in campaigning and speaking to large audiences until very recently. Louise Mensch was briefly an MP, lives in New York and is active on Twitter. As political adversaries go we're not really in a Borg/McEnroe situation are we?

Justine, are you actually suggesting that this was an 'interesting choice' because of the thread it has generated? Am I too cynical to wonder if HQ guessed this might happen, and thought 'ah well, if it does, at least it'll generate some more publicity for our site'...?

Well, this thread makes MNHQ look ridiculous IMO. You know when the DM et al mock MN? Stuff like this is all the fodder they need!
Louise...it was me that called you vacuous.
And after reading many of the tributes and obits for Tony Benn in the press and online forums over the last few days I stand by that comment.
Obviously, I realise you will disagree!

Waxy...now there's a thought!

'We have a bloggers' network - they wanted to add their slant'

I thought you approached her?

Cynical waxy but probably not a million miles off the mark...

..that's what I thought northern...

@Badvoc

Well, this thread makes MNHQ look ridiculous IMO. You know when the DM et al mock MN? Stuff like this is all the fodder they need! Louise...it was me that called you vacuous. And after reading many of the tributes and obits for Tony Benn in the press and online forums over the last few days I stand by that comment. Obviously, I realise you will disagree!

I do disagree actually. I understand where folks are coming from but I think there were good reasons to ask Louise, as noted already.

And I'm not aware of the DM "mocking" MN - they quote MN, albeit often very selectively, all the time. But if the DM were to mock MN, on balance, I think it would probably indicate that we were doing things along the right lines, rather than the reverse.

@Northernlurker

'We have a bloggers' network - they wanted to add their slant'

I thought you approached her?

We did - I mean the Bloggers Network team at MNHQ (o/w there are 3 people)

@WaxyDaisy

Justine, are you actually suggesting that this was an 'interesting choice' because of the thread it has generated? Am I too cynical to wonder if HQ guessed this might happen, and thought 'ah well, if it does, at least it'll generate some more publicity for our site'...?

No I'm not, I'm suggesting it was an interesting choice because Louise Mensch is a Tory. (And yes you are being way too cynical - this is the last think we want to happen, it's all really rather sad and in no way fitting of the political legacy of by Tony Benn)

Point taken wrt the DM! but....either you want MN to be taken seriously or you don't.
And this ^ is just not going to do it.

I don't agree with most of this. LM wrote a piece. It was a good piece and why not? By the way she was not "rent a gob". She wasn't paid. I'm a lawyer. I also wrote 30 books. I only write (except on here) when I'm paid. It was good of LM to write it and it was a good piece. I have certain issues with LM because I believe women do better leaning in, not taking a choice of following their men etc etc but that's not a criticism of her post on Benn.

Also MN would not want to pay a large fee or any fee to someone to write about Benn. So why not have LM write about him? I was criticised on another thread because I am a Thatcher supporter and free market libertarian feminist because I wrote quite politely on other threads about Benn and Crow despite saying I was sorry they were both dead. The left seem to want a monopoly over writing about their heroes whilst being more than happy to criticise the late Lady Thatcher at every turn.

It often comes down to money. Most women don't earn much as they don't lean in so they therefore always take the leftist point of view. Until instead they make wiser choices and become cabinet members, leaders and own companies rather than following their men across continents and the like or at lower income levels staying home whilst their man earns the big bucks women will remain left wing. If someone else is earning the money and paying the taxes you tend to be more than happy for those taxes to be high.

Bacon, lettuce and tomato?
No idea....

Boring loudmouth twat?

I always thought it was Buy To Let.