Who on NSC do you think might be posh?

[Goldstone1976]

Out of interest, why did your mum think Benn wasn't a nice man, despite liking his politics?

For me, I'm not sure that I'd describe him as "not a nice man"; rather, that there were some aspects of his personality and actions that were questionable.

For example, why would he insist that his "Who's who" entry not say that he was educated at Westminster? Why would he announce on the BBC that henceforth we wanted to be known as "Tony Benn", not "Anthony Wedgewood Benn"?

It's one thing to have totally different politics to the norm for your background and to proclaim your politics loudly. It's quite another to try to erase your background from public consciousness.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Well, I think the word 'Banter' is a horrendous one so at least I know I'm not COMMON.

Unless you call it Bantz, you're posh!

 

[Trufflehound]

I remember meeting my first posh person back when I was about 10. We were at some Mediterranean airport, waiting to fly back from holiday, when a kid about my age sidles up to me, and in a plummy voice asks: "Which shire are you from?"

 

[BuddyBoy]

For me, I'm not sure that I'd describe him as "not a nice man"; rather, that there were some aspects of his personality and actions that were questionable.

For example, why would he insist that his "Who's who" entry not say that he was educated at Westminster? Why would he announce on the BBC that henceforth we wanted to be known as "Tony Benn", not "Anthony Wedgewood Benn"?

It's one thing to have totally different politics to the norm for your background and to proclaim your politics loudly. It's quite another to try to erase your background from public consciousness.

I don't follow. Surely if he announced on the BBC that he'd rather be known as Tony Benn then he's not really trying to hide or erase anything? It's a very public way of doing things. Is it really so bad to want to be called Tony instead of Anthony?

 

[Goldstone1976]

I don't follow. Surely if he announced on the BBC that he'd rather be known as Tony Benn then he's not really trying to hide or erase anything? It's a very public way of doing things. Is it really so bad to want to be called Tony instead of Anthony?

That was my second point, in gentle implied support of my first, much more substantive point! Why would someone ensure that Who's Who delete the reference to him being educated at Westminster?

 

[Hillian1]

I remember that tosspot. Couldn't find his banning in the decision section. Would be an apt username though (as would TOSSPOT, as it happens)

Someone has mentioned that he's back and posting as The Naughty Vicar. No idea if that's right though.

 

[BuddyBoy]

That was my second point, in gentle implied support of my first, much more substantive point! Why would someone ensure that Who's Who delete the reference to him being educated at Westminster?

Ah, now I understand. Sorry, I really didn't follow and didn't make that clear enough.

I did not know that about 'who's who'. Pretty disappointing actually. Seems Mr Wedgewood Been is ashamed of his past and the blatant dishonesty diminishes his integrity by quite a bit.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Ah, now I understand. Sorry, I really didn't follow and didn't make that clear enough.

I did not know that about 'who's who'. Pretty disappointing actually. Seems Mr Wedgewood Been is ashamed of his past and the blatant dishonesty diminishes his integrity by quite a bit.

Sarcasm duly noted! As I said in my initial post about him, I don't think Tony Benn is "not a nice man" as others have asserted. I do however think that there is something slightly dishonest about making efforts to conceal one's past. He's smart enough and principled enough to have simply said something along the lines of "It's not my fault where I was born and how I was educated; my stand is X; deal with it".

A complex, principled man with many attributes and perhaps a couple of flaws; s'all.