Benn: 'Good for politics, catastrophic for Labour'

[@Duggi311]

The traitors in the SDP were catastrophic for Labour, not Benn.

[@redword2007]

The SDP was catastrophic for Britain.

[@dlk1dlk1]

Er, the SDP left Labour because of Benn and his influence over the party.

[@redword2007]

dlk1dlk1 Yes and it divided the labour Party and lead to .er, 20 years of Tory rule.

[@dlk1dlk1]

redword2007 Yes, BECAUSE of Benn and his influence; that's why the party split.

[@dlk1dlk1]

The SDP left Labour BECAUSE of Benn and his influence.

[@introduire]

A Libdem saying Tony Benn was not good for Labour, irony at its best!

[@Quedz9]

Who?

[@lionsheart8]

@@Quedz9 Polly

[@hjhaddow990]

he was not bad for labour he was bad for new-'labour' labour used to stand for the people now it only stands for the upper class and ultra privatisation just like the tories

[@JacenSolo0]

Hector Haddow how you are so right

[@micmacmoc]

Damn right!

[@jesseroberts637]

4 years is a long time, thankfully we've got Jeremy now, Labour's getting back to it's roots.

[@hienlengoc248]

Yes

[@alrobson5716]

He was not good for labour? He was good for any party who wanted to see justice for workers and people on the street. Labour was just a get in to reach a wider audience. The lady on the right is too bothered about the brand of labour more than being right for the people which Tony was.

[@Lennon6412]

No, Tony Blair was bad for Labour. Britain would've been better if Benn won.

[@AlJalandhari]

Awful defence of Benn from Abbott here "he brought people from outside the trade unions by supporting Ireland and err Ireland and err supporting the trade unions." For the labour left she has always been our worst advocate.

[@T800System]

Toynbee: Good for The Guardian, catastrophic for Labour

[@T800System]

John Mulligan Not really. I can think of plenty of people who are further to left than Toynbee and who are media personalities. But I catch your drift, yes they are under represented.

[@T800System]

John Mulligan Owen Jones.. Mark Steel, Paul Mason, Will Self to name a few

[@T800System]

That's a distinction without a difference. They're all regular contributors to various newspapers. Does it matter that they are also accomplished in other fields? Also, what are you talking about when you describe Paul Mason as right wing? You can't have read/listened to much of what he says otherwise you would not say that.

[@T800System]

Yes I did, lol. Owen Jones is a journalist and there is absolutely no disputing that he is further to the left than Toynbee. What are you smoking? And Paul Mason? Corporate propaganda? Are we actually talking about the same person? His analysis of neoliberalism is pretty scathing - you should actually read what he says rather than some 20 second news clip which, as far as I can surmise, is the only interaction you have ever had with him.

[@T800System]

John Mulligan Owen Jones describes himself as a journalist. And what's this about him supporting "free market perversities"? I'm starting to think that you think anyone who isn't for a completely stateless communist society is not justifiably left wing enough. And what exactly did Stacy Herbert say about Paul Mason? Because - and no offence to her - she is an american, and I often feel her and Keiser don't always know intimately well the views of the people that they are criticising. The BBC is under siege and it does have a lot of Tory top-brass, I'm not arguing with you on that. But don't be fooled that everything is so black and white - there are some left wingers at the BBC, but few and far between.

[@sepehrdaghbandan7964]

He was good for politics. He had conviction, passion, strength, oratory and... But he was bad for the labour party. How is that? maybe you were wrong for the party.

[@1969JohnnyM]

What was Toynbee in the Labour party for, she was basically Conservative lite. The SDP gave Britain Maggie Thatcher years of power and tellingly they are now in power with the Conservative's.

[@Marshall2431]

I love Benn but loathe Abbot

[@bruh949]

Any real Brit agrees.

[@glamorganmorgan]

Polly Toynbee is now supporting Labour as it looks very much like the SDP

[@danwarb1]

Polly is harmfully ignorant.

[@GiantSandles]

Toynbee's really emblematic of how fucking awful the Guardian is now

[@redword2007]

I would take a Thatcher over a Toynbee any day. I despised Thatcher and everything that she stood for, but she fought for her class like I and many others fight for ours. Toynbee is a jackal who attempts to steer any militant opposition into compromise and sell-out.

[@johntomlinson6849]

I will never understand how Abbott into Cambridge, unless....?

[@eightiesmusic1984]

That reflects extremely badly on you. She got into Cambridge on merit as one of the brightest of her generation. She did very well at school and clearly possessed an intellectual capacity that qualified her for entry. Unless what? Unless nothing. Her educational history is documented in the excellent biography by Robin Bunce. Perhaps you would care to share your educational achievements? Did you have the ability to go to a top university? Shameful post.

[@StephenFiorentini]

3:33 Jeremy Corbyn

[@bruh949]

How ironic Diane Abbott speaking in defence of Tony Benn 😂. She represents everything he stood against. Her EU fanaticism and incompetent lack of intelligence would surely make Benn not want her to speak on behalf of his legacy.

[@davidalderson4980]

Toynbee continues to be catastrophic for the Labour Party.

[@triciacol]

more advice from the Guardian's Toynbee and Diane Abbott, only Emily Thornbury is missing from my most disliked Labour women list

[@bushman143]

Blair destroyed the Labour Party. Benn represented real labour.