Top 160 Quotes & Sayings by Tony Benn - Page 3

The peace movement didn't stop the Iraq but I think that Blair would not be able to go along and support an Iranian war.

The police are controlled by the whites, the media are controlled by the whites, the army's controlled by the whites, what hope is there for change? Administration changes from underneath.

In developing our industrial strategy for the period ahead, we have the benefit of much experience. Almost everything has been tried at least once

I think Mrs Thatcher did more damage to democracy, equality, internationalism, civil liberties, freedom in this country than any other Prime Minister this century. When the euphoria surrounding her departure subsides you will find that in a year or two's time there will not be a Tory who admits ever supporting her. People in the street will say, thank God she's gone

If ever I left the House of Commons it would be because I wanted to spend more time on politics.

I think to understand how the democratic process works is the most important thing, so people don't get frightened by it, and get put off, and give up.

The crisis that we inherit when we come to power will be the occasion for fundamental change and not the excuse for postponing it

I am a public library

When we have a majority we will do it. I think the days of the Lords are quite genuinely numbered.

If you want your debt lifted you've got to sell your school and your hospitals.

When I think of Cool Britannia I think of old people dying of hypothermia.

If the Queen can reject the advice of a minister on a little thing like a postage stamp, what would happen if she rejected the advice of the Prime Minister on a major matter? If the Crown personally can reject advice, then, of course, the whole democratic facade turns out to be false

Making mistakes is how you learn.

Bush is actually encouraging the spread of nuclear weapons because the one thing I do know is if Iran did have nuclear weapons they wouldn't be threatening them.

I don't want to commit myself in advocating a definite republican constitution which will get bogged down with the question of who would elect the President and when.

I'm a democrat - I don't support Bush, I don't support Blair, I don't support Bin Laden.

We used to have a War Office, but now we have a Ministry of Defence, nuclear bombs are now described as deterrents, innocent civilians killed in war are now described as collateral damage and military incompetence leading to US bombers killing British soldiers is cosily described as friendly fire. Those who are in favour of peace are described as mavericks and troublemakers, whereas the real militants are those who want the war.

Having served in eleven Parliaments, it would be difficult to describe this as a maiden speech. It would be like Elizabeth Taylor appearing at her next wedding in a white gown.

Middle class Labour leaders are recaptured by the establishment when they die.

I'd rather die on my feet making a speech than die of Alzheimer's - and that's what I'm planning to do.

The Civil Service is a bit like a rusty weathercock. It moves with opinion then it stays where it is until another wind moves it in a different direction

If I were the American President I would rather be popular than have the power the destroy the world because however many puppets they have all over the Middle East - Saudi Arabia, Egypt and so on - they haven't got support from the people.

The one thing that unites Sunni, Shiites and Kurds is they want the Americans out.

It is tempting to deny, but if you deny you confirm what you won't deny.

Workers are not going to be fobbed off with a few shares...or by a carbon copy of the German system of co-determination.

When you get to No 10, you've climbed there on a little ladder called 'the status quo'. And when you are there, the status quo looks very good

The peace movement here is the biggest thing in human history.

I think if you do have democracy it would transform the world because if the millions of people who die live on a dollar a day, had the vote, they would redistribute the wealth of the world, and the people at the top are not prepared to see that happen.

Through me the energy policy of the whole Common Market is being held up. Without opening old wounds, it pleases me no end.

I now want more time to devote to politics and more freedom to do so.

Marxism is now a world faith and must be allowed to enter into a continuous dialogue with other world faiths, including religious faiths

The thought that my mother would suddenly be a foreigner would upset me very much.

An MP is the only job where you have 70,000 employers, and only one employee.

[I am against] the Treaty of Rome which entrenches laissez faire as its philosophy and chooses bureaucracy as its administrative method.

The 1973 Labour Conference will have before it the most radical programme the Party has prepared since 1945.

There is good and bad in all of us and the Church uses the idea of original sin to control us by saying that, if we do not obey the bishops, we will rot in Hell.

It would be as unthinkable to try to construct the Labour Party without Marx as it would to be to establish university faculties of astronomy,anthropology or psychology without permitting the study of Copernicus, Darwin or Freud, and still expect such faculties to be taken seriously

I am not a reluctant peer but a persistent commoner

She believes in something. It is an old-fashioned idea

Food movement organic food stores supplies health food products and facilitate with instrumental support in organic agriculture.