Tony Benn goes to war on conflicts abroad

Sep 2 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

FORMER MP Tony Benn was in the city last night speaking about war, economics and politics.

As a founding member of the Stop the War Coalition, Mr Benn was a guest speaker at Vauxhall’s Silvester Club.

Ahead of his speech, labelling himself a “classroom assistant to the nation”, Mr Benn said everyone needed to understand what was happening in the world before anything would change.

He said: “First of all, people need to understand what’s going on. I don’t need anyone to vote for me anymore so I can say what I believe.”

An outspoken critic of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Mr Benn said he worried about a possible war in Iran and said foreign policy was to blame for the threat of a new cold war.

He said Nato’s expansion towards Russia was a political move against the country and America’s invasion of Iraq was about control of oil, as would be an invasion of Iran.

Mr Benn said: “I also want to talk about the economy, because our economic situation is the worst it’s been for 60 years.

“Alistair Darling has been saying for months ‘I feel your pain’ but if I was him, I’d get another doctor.

“People are frightened, they might lose their job, lose their home then they’re out on the street.”

He related problems with the economy to the huge amounts of money spent on war, claiming that America spends $400m a day on Iraq whilst people in Ethiopia are starving.

Mr Benn has made numerous visits to Liverpool over the past 50 years and at the age of 83, can still recount one of his first visits to the city.

He said: “I love Liverpool and come whenever I can.

“I have often spoken of my favourite story when I came to speak for the city councillors and got off the train at Lime Street.

“I passed the theatre and asked someone where it was I needed to go, they said they would walk with me and show me where to go.

“While we walked they gave me a lecture about Rosa Luxembourg. Where in the world would someone give up the theatre to give me a lecture on socialism?

“I often mention this when I speak in Liverpool and someone always shouts out, ‘that was me’ so they’re still coming to my meetings.” Mr Benn said he believes everyone can make a difference and hopes the people of Liverpool will travel to Manchester later this month to campaign outside the Labour party conference.

He said: “Everyone can make a difference. My mother was born in 1897 when women didn’t have the vote.

“They said it undermined democracy, which is ludicrous, the suffragettes campaigned and women got the vote.

“Progress is not made by politics, history is made by people.”

Audrey White, spokesperson for Liverpool’s Stop the War Coalition, said: “We’re delighted Mr Benn spoke once again in Liverpool.

“We want to remind people of our campaign and the upcoming protest in Manchester and as a national treasure, Mr Benn helps put the issues at the top of the agenda.”

laurasharpe@dailypost.co.uk