Benn - Free At Last: Diaries 1991-2001

Contents

About the Author

Tony Benn is the longest serving MP in the history of the Labour Party. He left Parliament in 2001, after more than half a century in the House of Commons, to devote more time to politics. From 2001 to 2002 he was visiting professor of government and politics at the LSE and he is now engaged on a nationwide speaking tour.

He is the author of many books, including his powerful case for constitutional change, Common Sense (with Andrew Hood), Arguments for Socialism, Arguments for Democracy, eight volumes of Diaries and the childhood memoir, Dare to be a Daniel: Then and Now.

Tony Benn has four children and ten grandchildren. He was married for 51 years to Caroline, socialist, teacher and author, who died in 2000.

Ruth Winstone has edited all the volumes of Tony Benns Diaries and several biographies of political figures. She is associate editor of The Times Guide to the House of Commons; and currently works as a Library Clerk in the Commons.

Also by Tony Benn

The Regeneration of Britain

Speeches

Arguments for Socialism

Arguments for Democracy

Parliament, People and Power

The Sizewell Syndrome

Fighting Back: Speaking Out for Socialism in the Eighties

A Future for Socialism

Common Sense (with Andrew Hood)

Dare to be a Daniel: Then and Now

Years of Hope: Diaries 19401962

Out of the Wilderness: Diaries 19631967

Office Without Power: Diaries 19681972

Against the Tide: Diaries 19731976

Conflicts of Interest: Diaries 19771980

The End of an Era: Diaries 19801990

The Benn Diaries: Single Volume Edition 19401990

More Time for Politics: Diaries 20012007

This book is dedicated to Caroline, to all our grandchildren and to future generations, in the hope that they may make a better world for themselves than we have been able to make for them.

List of Illustrations

. Tony and Caroline Benn (Benn Collection)

. Gulf War demonstration (John Harris)

. John Major (The Observer/Hulton Archive)

. March against the Governments pit closure programme (John Harris)

. Peter Mandelson and Neil Kinnock (Steve Eason/Hulton Archive)

. Gordon Brown and Tony Blair (Steve Eason/Hulton Archive)

. Tony and Cherie Blair outside No 10 (Tim Rooke/Rex Features)

. Alastair Campbell and Tony Blair (The Times/Rex Features)

. David Blunkett (Nils Jorgensen/Rex Features)

. Mo Mowlam (Richard Cannon/Rex Features)

. Tam Dalyell (Dennis Stone/Rex Features)

. Chris Mullin (Rex Features)

. Jeremy Corbyn (Rex Features)

. Ken Livingstone (Steve Eason/Hulton Archive)

. Chesterfield Trades Council Banner (Don Mcphee/Guardian)

. NUM Banner (Benn Collection)

. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness outside the Commons (Robin Mayes/The Times/Rex Features)

. Tony Benn, John Pilger and Alan Simpson at demonstration (Benn Collection)

. Lady Stansgate (E. Hamilton West)

. Benn family (Benn Collection)

. Tony and Hilary Benn (Benn Collection)

. Tea on Commons Terrace (Benn Collection)

. Tom and Margaret Vallins (Benn Collection)

. The Teabags (Benn Collection)

Tony Banks (Nils Jorgensen/Rex Features)

. Alice Mahon (Jago Parker)

. Lady Wilson and Tony Blair (Benn Collection)

. Betty Boothroyd (Rex Features)

. Michael Martin (Rex Features)

. Tony Benn, Donald Soper and Jack Jones (Alun Jones)

. Tony Benns parliamentary cake (Benn Collection)

. Retiring MPs (Jeremy Young/Sunday Times)

. Tony and Caroline Benn (PA Photos)

Cartoons:

. Hector Breeze/Guardian Newspapers Ltd (March 5 1999)

. John Harris

. John Kent/Times Newspapers Ltd, London (May 17 2000)

. Peter Brookes/Times Newspapers Ltd, London (December 9 1997)

. Nicholas Garland/Telegraph Group Ltd 1999 (June 29 1999).

Every effort has been made to contact all copyright holders. The publishers will be glad to make good in future editions any errors or omissions brought to their attention.

Introduction

The 1990s was a most dangerous but also a most interesting decade in politics at home and abroad, including two major wars, both led by the United States in its new imperial role. We saw the replacement, in 1997, of a Tory administration after eighteen years in power, and this volume describes these and other developments from an independent perspective.

In just over ten years the Conservative Party has had four leaders, the Labour Party three. Neil Kinnock resigned in 1992 after nine years as Labour leader and two General Election defeats; he was followed by John Smith, who died tragically soon after, and then by Tony Blair who proclaimed that New Labour was a new political party.

This book chronicles the birth and development of New Labour, of which I am not a member and which, though almost certainly the smallest party in the history of British politics, is nevertheless a very powerful organisation, since most of its members are in the Cabinet or have supported it financially.

The New Labour Project was devised primarily as a way of gaining and then retaining office by abandoning socialism, distancing the Party from the trade unions, and working with the Liberal Democrats and some wet Conservatives.

New Labours overriding aims have been to build an alliance with corporate Britain, embrace the concept of a federal Europe, stand uncritically with America in all matters of foreign and defence policy, commit itself to market forces and globalisation, and seek to legitimise it all in the name of the Third Way, a convenient philosophy apparently espoused by many European leaders and by President Clinton.

New Labours victory in 1997 was built on two quite contradictory pillars of strength: a desire by most electors to remove the Conservatives and an equal desire by the Establishment to retain Conservative policies, which they believed were far safer in the hands of New Labour with a popular mandate than in the hands of the divided, weak and demoralised Conservatives . Hence the phrase recently used by one of the prophets of the Project: We are all Thatcherites now.

That said, there have been considerable achievements since 1997: the greatest undoubtedly have been the progress towards peace and stability in Northern Ireland, which I followed with intense interest; the introduction of the minimum wage; and extra revenue for the public services (unfortunately linked to privatisation, a throwback to the past and now rechristened modernisation).

Britains relations with Europe have been extensively debated over this period. The Maastricht Treaty was ratified without a referendum, and the leadership of New Labour has struggled to find a formula for persuading Britain to enter the Euro-zone against strong opposition from right across the political spectrum.

This volume of my diaries completes my final ten years as a backbench MP, after more than half a century in Parliament, and marks the end, in 1994, of thirty-four years on the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party.

Since I have argued all my life that it is issues and not personalities that should underpin political action and debate, readers may be surprised or even shocked by some of the very harsh and possibly unwarranted personal criticisms of individuals and colleagues. These were dictated at night, to relieve my feelings before my anger had subsided, and reflect my frustration at what was being said or done, and I must apologise unreservedly, in advance, for any hurt they might cause or offence that they give.