I did History, Government and Politics, and Sociology for my A’ Levels during the years 1994-1996. History was divided into two components- Caribbean and American- as was Government and Politics- British and American. It was during that time when reading about the 1981 election for the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party that I was introduced to Tony Benn. I was a 17 year old who identified with leftist politics and as I did more research on him, I became a fan. I again came across him shortly afterwards when I did a British politics course in my first year at LSE. His outspoken statements, his criticisms of New Labour and his leadership role in the anti-war movement continued to endear him to me over the years. Tony Benn was a man whose intellect I held in high regard and whose willingness to speak truth to power I respected a great deal. It was with great sadness that I woke up to the news of his death this morning. His loss is a huge one for the UK and the world, especially at a time when voices like his are rare to be heard. He was for me the best Prime Minister the UK never had.
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