Tony

Went to see Tony Benn at the Town Hall.

Tony is an institution – he attracted some fifteen hundred souls to come out on a wet and windy Thursday night.

The set was minimalist. Couple of chairs, one to sit on, one for his coat., a microphone and a lamp. Faded country housey.

He shuffled on to warm applause, took his coat off, sat himself down in his maroon cardy and ……..chatted.

We did the riffs – service in the RAF, mentions of Churchill (very generous to me), Blair, Kinnock, democracy ,(little old ladies in polling booths changing the government) constituency business. He plays the sainted innocent. He coined a few laughs, promised us some questions and tottered off for a half time cup of tea and to sign some books.

The audience went for a drink.

When we came back, it was time for questions. He explains that a minder must come on and sit with him to hear the questions properly and relay the sense to him. This seems to work ok although you get the impression that Tony is going to answer what Tony is going to answer. And to hell with the question. .

And so he bumbles on fairly amusingly telling his tales, schmoozing his people. And we went home promptly at half past nine.

So what was it all about?

It was nostalgic togetherness really. A coming together of the romantic fantasists. They thought he walked on water. He was certainly consistent over a long career; and he was well behaved – you never saw him in the tabloids, never a hint to financial scandal, no sex shenanigans; and he sent his kids to Holland Park Comp.

For all that there was a sadness to the evening. Here was the archetypal man of the people. Doing his party pieces at the age of 83. Bouncy, attractive, indomitable.

But has he not failed?

He will be forever linked with unsuccessful Labour Governments who couldn’t quite convince. He will be forever linked with unlikely causes. The epitome of ‘not quite getting there’. Gloriously.

How many of the people watching are poorer because his flawed vision held them back. Here was a privileged, articulate, sympathetic, truly decent man who refused to shoulder the responsibility to drive necessary improvements in the society who elected him. In a real sense he was an unwitting architect of Thatcherism.

Nobody asked him about that.


Nightwatchman