History biography page about Tony Benn
Benn entered the Commons in 1950 and later become a cabinet minister under Harold Wilson.
From the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, Benn rose as the leader of the Labour Party left.
In 1980s Benn challenged unsuccessfully for control of the Labour Party.
During strike Benn toured the country giving speeches and offering support to the miners.
A key supporter of peace movements, Benn met Saddam Hussein on the eve of both Gulf Wars.
Benn meticulously kept a diary that offered an inside view of post-war British politics.
A keen democrat, Benn was a fierce critic of political patronage and hereditary honours.
A critic of Blair's New Labour, Benn believed it betrayed Labour's socialist traditions.
In 2001, after 51 years, Tony Benn retired as an MP to "spend more time on politics".
After retiring as an MP, Benn held shows where he discussed his socialism and politics.
