Full name: The Right Hon. Anthony Wedgwood Benn.
Homeland: MP for Bristol South East 1950-1960, 1963-1983 and Chesterfield 1984-2001.
Caste: Old-style Labour socialist.
Religion: pacifism, nationalisation, global democracy.

Key Jobs: member of Labour's National Executive Committee 1959-1993, postmaster general 1964-66, minister of technology 1966-70, chairman of the Labour Party 1971-2, secretary of state for industry 1974-5 and secretary of state for energy 1975-1979.

Current Occupation: The acceptable face of socialism. Since retiring from Parliament in 2001, Tony has worked the lecture circuit and represented the British Left on television and in writing.

Old Labour: Tony is one of the last old style left-wing idealists. He's described capitalism as "the longest and most painful road to socialism". He believes the NHS is "phenomenal" and "the most socialist thing we ever did". Despite heavy criticism from the right-wing press, especially over his support for the 1984 miners' strike, he has never wavered from his principles, arguing extensively for social equality, the welfare state and nationalisation of industry. Contrasting Blair's success through "charisma" with Attlee's "integrity", he warned that "Blairism would create the very unemployment, injustice, poverty and even war" that the Labour movement historically opposes. It is hard not to admire someone that still stands up for his beliefs after fifty years in politics (the Independent 28.01.02, the Guardian 10.02.98).

Ejected, Elected: Benn spent the 1950s campaigning for hereditary peers to be allowed to renounce their peerages. One reason for this became clear in 1960 when, on the death of his father, Benn became Viscount Stansgate and was promptly ejected from the House of Commons. However, after winning support for the Peerage Act 1963, he became the first man in British history to give up a hereditary peerage and regain his Commons seat. His suggestion that the second house should consist of the Privy Council – consisting of all former ministers – has, sadly, never been taken on board (US national public radio 21.05.02, PA 18.09.03).

Power To The People: Tony remains a great proponent of power coming from below. He calls the internet the "soapbox of the 21st century" and often speaks at protest rallies as he doesn't "regard it as protest, I regard it as the first stage of political campaigning". His behaviour backs up his claim that things "change from underneath", interviews with him appear all over the alternative and underground press (BBC news online 30.12.99, interview transcript on LabourNet.Net 07.11.00).

Over There: Tony's also keen to strengthen democracy internationally. He believes the UN should be "responsible for industrial and economic policy as well as security" and a directly elected General Assembly should elect the Security Council. Tony also criticises globalisation as "the free movement of capital but not labour" and "imperialism under a new form". He has suggested the WTO and IMF should become subservient to the UN (BBC news online 30.12.99).

What Is It Good For?: After losing a brother in the second world war, Tony is a devout pacifist. He's always been critical of western military intervention, pointing out that "imperialism is always presented as humanitarian: the white man's burden and the cross going round the world". He's supported CND for more than twenty years and was one of the few MPs to criticise Thatcher's actions during the Falklands War, referring to it as "an oil war". An outspoken critic of the war on Iraq, he argued that sanctions had so weakened the Iraqi people that they "cannot choose their own leader". He also damned the dismissal of "women who will be widows and children who will be orphans" as "collateral damage" (interview transcript on LabourNet.Net 07.11.00, The Economist 29.05.82, interview transcript on LabourNet.net 07.11.00, Channel 4 online transcript 04.02.03, article on TonyBenn.com 22.02.02).

White Heat: While in government in the 1960s, Tony played a key role in Harold Wilson's "white heat" of technology. As postmaster general, he was responsible for London's BT Tower, opening it in 1966 in an unlikely double act with Sir Billy Butlin. As technology minister, he was later responsible for keeping Concorde on track despite budget problems. He also played a key role in reversing McMillan's decision to rename it "concord" to upset the French. Describing the plane's debut, he gleefully explained: "I arranged for a supersonic bang to take place over the Cabinet" (the Guardian 10/11/01, BBC news online 21.10.03).

The Daily Record: Tony obsessively took notes during public meetings when he was a Bristol MP: "he was always armed with a miniature tape-recorder to capture each event for posterity - and proof of misquotation." He has also kept a diary every night since 1942 – with seven volumes published. "Looking through then, you can see where hope comes from," he explains. "Progress occurs - the end of apartheid, the advance of women's rights - and that keeps me going" (Western Daily Press 06.05.03, interview with the Communist Party of Australia 20.04.99).

The Cult Of Personality: Since retiring from Parliament to "devote more time to politics", Tony has become a favourite on the political lecture circuit. He appears at gatherings from Stop the War rallies to sixth form politics conferences. Amazon currently sells his "Greatest Hits" CD, while his lecture tour ticket share space on Ents24.com with superstars like Westlife and David Cassidy. Lauren Booth describes meeting the great man after one such gathering. "He listened with sheepish humility as people insisted 'you're my hero' . . . He pecked my cheek, signed the book I offered, and was off. I'm never, ever washing my face again". If you're in any doubt that personal magnetism is something special, just try to imagine John Prescott doing the same (New Statesman 29.04.02).

"The Longest Suicide Note In History": A cynic might argue that Benn's old style socialism was partly responsible for keeping the Labour Party out of government for so long. He was one of the architects of the 1983 manifesto, "New Hope for Britain". It promised high taxation, the abolition of the House of Lords and the expansion of public ownership. In reality, it delivered an increased Tory majority and Benn lost his seat.

Race To The Top: During the late 70s and early 80s, Tony also developed an unhealthy habit of losing leadership battles. After losing the 1976 contest to Jim Callaghan, he ran against Dennis Healey for the Deputy Leadership in 1981, despite Michael Foot's pleas not to divide the party. And he lost. Seven years later, he challenged Neil Kinnock for the leadership in an attempt to steer the party back to the left. And he lost again.

Playing With Fire: Tony has been attacked for his belief that anything is preferable to war. In February 2003, he flew to Baghdad to interview Saddam Hussein on television in an attempt to prevent conflict. It was a noble gesture but, because of the practicalities of interviewing a lunatic dictator in his own territory, Tony came across as rather poodle-like: "I wonder whether you could say something to the peace movement of the world that might help to advance the cause they have in mind?" Later that month, Tony managed to upset a pro-war Iraqi woman on live television by accusing her of being a "CIA stooge". Moreover, his comparisons of the Iraq War with the Suez Crisis - and of Blair's fate with Eden's - have so far failed to ring true (Channel 4 online transcript 04.02.03, the Guardian 18.02.03, the Daily Mail 29.07.02).

The Real World: Many of Tony's suggestions about international relations seem admirable but unrealistic. He's suggested that Britain should withdraw from both NATO and the EU because of their lack of accountability. However, he has not come up with a solution for the gaps in defence and trade. Again, his proposals for strengthening the UN and involving directly elected delegates are very appealing, but sadly bear as much relation to the current state of the planet as "Star Trek". What's more, his theory that there is a "strategy for the replacement of the United Nations by NATO" comes across as distinctly paranoid (BBC online 30.12.99, interview with the Communist Party of Australia 20.04.99).

The Union Man: Tony is a member of the Transport and General Workers Union and the National Union of Journalists. He is also an honorary member of the National Union of Miners. Yet, having worked in politics since the age of 25, he has little idea of what it's like to be a coal miner or drive a bus. Oddly, collections of his speeches and writings are available on the Conservative Party shop website.

The Final Countdown: Tony's fear of the bomb borders on paranoia. He's described nuclear power as "expensive, dangerous and . . . a cover so that the arms programme can be munitioned". Yet, in the 1970s, "he lauded it as the cheap and secure energy source of the future." Tony's also denied that Blair has any influence over Washington, claiming Blair fears that "if he spoke out against the war, President Bush could remove our nuclear weapons, thus ending our pretence to be an independent nuclear power" (TonyBenn.com 11.01.02, the Independent 25.02.03, TonyBenn.com 22.02.02).

Tea-Total: Tony's personal habits are as well known as his politics. He has never drunk alcohol but claims to drink a pint of tea every hour. He has also been a vegetarian since 1980. However, his true trademark won him an accolade far greater than being a mere cabinet minister for, in 1992, he was voted "Pipe Smoker of the Year" (the Guardian 6.2.02, the Daily Mirror 15.01.00).

Great Briton: Tony came 97th in the BBC's "100 Greatest Britons" in 2002. Not bad for a man who's spent the last thirty years politely attacking the establishment.

Out Of Left Field: Tony has performed in the "Left Field" political tent, alongside comedians such as Mark Steel and Mark Thomas, for the last two years at Glastonbury festival (BBC news online 09.05.03).

Somebody Call "The Specials": Last February, Tony came up with a novel way of preventing conflict in Iraq. "I would like Mandela to lead a delegation of Nobel Peace Prize winners to go to Baghdad and negotiate a settlement," he explained. "While they were there it would be hard for Mr Blair and Mr Bush to kill them with a bombardment." (Channel 4 online chat transcript 04.02.03)

This Court believes the Right Hon. Tony Benn to be one of the few unique voices left in politics today, possessing enormous popular appeal thanks to his knowledge, charm and idealism. His ideas are always fascinating and guaranteed to liven up any political debate. However, he suffers from the main problem of socialism the world over - the requirement for everyone to agree with him before many of his ideas can become workable. His paranoia about global capitalist conspiracies also appears a little odd.

You have heard the evidence from both sides. It is now the responsibility of you, the Jury, to pass the verdict on the accused. His fate is in your hands.

Anthony Wedgwood Benn was born on 3 April 1925 in 40 Millbank, London - the site of the future Labour headquarters. Both his grandfathers and his father, William Wedgwood Benn, had been a Liberal MPs, although the latter defected to Labour and later became Viscount Stansgate. Educated at Westminster School and Oxford, Tony served in the RAF during the second world war. He joined the Labour party in 1942 and, eight years later, became MP for Bristol South East.

Tony was elected to the Labour NEC in 1959 where he served until 1993. He entered the Cabinet as postmaster general under the first Wilson government in 1964 and served in a variety of governmental posts under both Wilson and Callaghan. In 1973, his euro-scepticism led him to force the Heath government into a referendum on whether Britain should remain in the Common Market.

Throughout the 1980s, Tony was a key figure in the party's left-wing, and stood for both leadership and deputy leadership of the party. He lost his Bristol seat in the 1983 election, in part due to boundary changes, but returned to the Commons in the Chesterfield by-election the following year. In 2001, Tony - by then the longest serving Labour MP - stepped down from the Commons "to devote more time to politics." However, he has remained an active left-wing speaker, as well as a visiting lecturer at the London School of Economics. In 2003, his son Hillary became international development secretary in the Blair government.