7 The oratory of Tony Benn
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Mark Garnett
Abstract
No serious student of Labour Party history could deny Tony Benn a prominent place in a roll-call of the party's best public speakers. Benn's argument has an excellent pedigree, stretching back at least to Socrates' complaints about the Athenian Sophists. This chapter argues that Benn should in fact be classed as an orator who made use of logos, pathos and ethos, albeit in a highly distinctive fashion. It analyses his ideological development, as well as a summary of the major episodes in his career within the Labour movement. Benn's oratorical apprenticeship began in an auspicious nursery, the Oxford Union, which he served as president in 1947, after returning from his own war service. Benn 'had no emotional mechanism for dealing with failure'. In terms of ethos, Benn's career as an orator is even less consistent with his self-evaluation.
Abstract
No serious student of Labour Party history could deny Tony Benn a prominent place in a roll-call of the party's best public speakers. Benn's argument has an excellent pedigree, stretching back at least to Socrates' complaints about the Athenian Sophists. This chapter argues that Benn should in fact be classed as an orator who made use of logos, pathos and ethos, albeit in a highly distinctive fashion. It analyses his ideological development, as well as a summary of the major episodes in his career within the Labour movement. Benn's oratorical apprenticeship began in an auspicious nursery, the Oxford Union, which he served as president in 1947, after returning from his own war service. Benn 'had no emotional mechanism for dealing with failure'. In terms of ethos, Benn's career as an orator is even less consistent with his self-evaluation.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Foreword by the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP ix
- Acknowledgements xi
- List of abbreviations xii
- Introduction 1
- 1 The oratory of Aneurin Bevan 14
- 2 The oratory of Hugh Gaitskell 31
- 3 The oratory of Harold Wilson 46
- 4 The oratory of Barbara Castle 62
- 5 The oratory of James Callaghan 76
- 6 The oratory of Michael Foot 93
- 7 The oratory of Tony Benn 110
- 8 The oratory of Neil Kinnock 125
- 9 The oratory of John Smith 141
- 10 The oratory of Tony Blair 156
- 11 The oratory of Gordon Brown 172
- 12 The oratory of Ed Miliband 187
- Conclusion 200
- Bibliography 205
- Index 224
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Foreword by the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP ix
- Acknowledgements xi
- List of abbreviations xii
- Introduction 1
- 1 The oratory of Aneurin Bevan 14
- 2 The oratory of Hugh Gaitskell 31
- 3 The oratory of Harold Wilson 46
- 4 The oratory of Barbara Castle 62
- 5 The oratory of James Callaghan 76
- 6 The oratory of Michael Foot 93
- 7 The oratory of Tony Benn 110
- 8 The oratory of Neil Kinnock 125
- 9 The oratory of John Smith 141
- 10 The oratory of Tony Blair 156
- 11 The oratory of Gordon Brown 172
- 12 The oratory of Ed Miliband 187
- Conclusion 200
- Bibliography 205
- Index 224
