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| Tony Benn, interviewed, at Occupy protest camp outside St Paul's Cathedral, London, in November 2011 (Photo: © Paul Coleman, London Intelligence) |
Tony Benn
Flame of Anger, Flame of Hope
“Inside him
burned the flame of anger against injustice
- and the flame of hope that we
could build a better world.
That was what
moved him.
For that
reason he was trusted.
He was a
lovely man.
And I hope
that his family will gain something
from the knowledge that their grief is
shared.”
(Tony Benn, born in London, 3 April 1925 - died 14 March 2014)
Explanatory note:
The above quotation pays tribute to Tony Benn.
But the quotation itself is extracted from Tony Benn's own generous tribute to John Smith, the former Labour Party leader.
On 12 May 1994 the Labour Party leader John Smith dies at his Barbican home in London.
Later that day, Tony Benn, speaking in the House of Commons as the elected Member of
Parliament for Chesterfield, says ofJohn Smith:
“I thank the
Prime Minister (John Major) and the other Members who have spoken for what they
have said about John Smith.
“I had the
privilege of knowing him (Smith) and of working with him closely over 25 years
in Parliament and in government, and he had two qualities that I would like to
mention.
“Inside him
burned the flame of anger against injustice, and the flame of hope that we could
build a better world. That was what moved him.
“Secondly, he
was a man who always said the same, wherever he was. Whether one heard him in
public at a meeting or in private, whether one heard him in the Cabinet or in
the House of Commons, he always said the same thing.
For that
reason, he was trusted.
“He was a
lovely man, and I hope that his family will gain something from the knowledge
that their grief is shared by us.”
Source: Hansard
© Paul Coleman, London Intelligence, March 2014
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