Tony Benn’s legacy will be measured by how much we match his undying commitment to the belief that a better world is possible.
Stop the War Coalition
Crowds lined the streets at Parliament Square on Thursday 27 March 2014, as Tony Benn’s coffin was carried into St Margaret’s Church for his funeral service.
Banners in the crowd included Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Durham Miners Union, and many more organisations and groups that were central to Tony Benn’s political work in the the past 30 years of his political life.
The crowd clapped as the coffin passed by, in recognition of his huge contribution to the causes of peace and justice. When the service ended, the crowd outside the church sang The Red Flag and chanted “three cheers for Tony Benn”.
Tony Benn said shortly before he died, “All I would want on my gravestone would be: ‘Here Lies Tony Benn: He Encouraged Us.’”
Rest in peace, Tony Benn. Encourage and inspire us, you certainly did. And your legacy will be measured by how much we match your undying commitment to the belief that a better world is possible.
See also:
Preview of Tony Benn’s Will and Testament
A Tale of Two Tonys: Benn and Blair
How politicians came not to praise Tony Benn but to bury his ideas
Tony Benn’s last public speech for Stop the War Coalition, 30 November 2013
Source: Stop the War Coalition
