Britannist

'Tony' Benn, the former Labour MP and Minister who has always been opposed to the EU, has allegedly said that he would like to return to the House of Commons. He retired from Parliament in 2001.

Mr. Benn (82) may apply to be Labour candidate at Kensington in central London - a constituency which will be created when the Chelsea part of the existing Kensington and Chelsea seat merges with Fulham.

Kensington Labour Party are currently looking for a candidate. The seat will be marginal and it includes a number of wards with Labour councillors.

If Mr. Benn does apply for the Labour candidacy he will face Sir Malcolm Rifkind (the former Conservative Government Foreign Secretary) who has been selected as the Conservative candidate for Kensington (he is currently MP for the Kensington and Chelsea constituency).

There is more on this at:

Tony Benn, 82, plans to return to Parliament - Telegraph

rjt

Whilst I dont pretend to agree with Tony Benn on a great many issues and think his attitude to nuclear weapons is severly misguided i think the HOC is a duller palce without him and he always speaks his mind and on the EU a lot of common sense.

__________________
Mr Delors said that he wanted the European Parliament to be the democratic body of the community, The Commission to be The Executive and The Council Of Ministers The Senate. NO! NO! NO!
(Margaret Thatcher 30 Oct 1990)

Ignore List: The Prophets of ST Al the Unelectable.

Britannist

Well, the europhiles in the Labour Party certainly would not want him back - so if he gets elected they will be annoyed.

As far as I am aware, 'Tony' Benn is not a member of Better off out of the EU (BOO). UKIP are not fielding candidates against those who are in BOO.

If Mr. Benn were in BOO there might be no UKIP candidate in the Kensington seat (if he does apply to be Labour candidate and is chosen as the Labour candidate there).

I am quite sure that Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP, the Conservative candidate at Kensington, never thought that he might end up fighting against 'Tony' Benn to keep his seat in the House of Commons.

The Kensington seat is nominally Conservative (on the new boundaries) but it is a marginal constituency (the strongest Conservative wards in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will be part of the neighbouring new Chelsea-Fulham seat). The Labour Party at Kensington may be hoping that if they select 'Tony' Benn as their candidate his fame and long political record may bring in the extra votes needed for a Labour victory in the Kensington constituency next time.

Britannist

Yes his anti-UK nuclear weapons view certainly is misguided - as is his support for British Northern Ireland becoming a part of the Irish Republic.

Britannist

rjt

yes in his diarys when a cabinet minister under Callaghan he regularly expressed a desire that Britian should withdraw all its troups.

__________________
Mr Delors said that he wanted the European Parliament to be the democratic body of the community, The Commission to be The Executive and The Council Of Ministers The Senate. NO! NO! NO!
(Margaret Thatcher 30 Oct 1990)

Ignore List: The Prophets of ST Al the Unelectable.

Britannist

His views on the EU (i.e. withdrawal from it) are good - but most of the rest of what he stands for I'll give a miss.

rjt

I think that goes for a lot of people, when he came to Aldershot 3 years ago over 500 people turned up to hear him talk about his experiences in Government and hear our questions on politics, I ant think of many political figures who could achieve that.

__________________
Mr Delors said that he wanted the European Parliament to be the democratic body of the community, The Commission to be The Executive and The Council Of Ministers The Senate. NO! NO! NO!
(Margaret Thatcher 30 Oct 1990)

Ignore List: The Prophets of ST Al the Unelectable.

Populist Lee

I expect Sir Malcolm will increase his share of the Vote.
Fortunate man.

Besoeker

I don't think you should edit posts by others.