A Rebel With Many Causes
By luigi_pagano
Mon, 17 Mar 2014
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I saw him in Manchester.
He was on the stage
to talk about his life,
recorded in his diary
that was on sale outside
in the theatre’s foyer.
An armchair and a table
were some of his props
together with a pipe
- unlit, for safety reasons -
a cup and a teapot
on which rested a cosy.
On this domestic scene
he spoke of his affinity
with the Mancunian region
when a serving officer
in the Royal Air Force.
He gave a left-wing view
of socialist democracy,
the threat of global economy,
of environmental issues
and the perils of capitalism.
He was a man of the people
who resigned from Parliament
to concentrate on politics.
That’s what he said and meant.
He argued against conflicts
saying that war represents
a failure of diplomacy.
He fought against colleagues
as well as his enemies;
he was a rebel with many causes,
the like of which we’ll see no more.
R.I.P.
© Luigi Pagano 2014
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Well put, Luigi. I met him
Well put, Luigi. I met him once at a demo in Hyde Park. A man of great compassion and understanding, and an unflinching commitment to his principles. I always admired him. It's a testament to the man that even those who didn't agree with him, or thought he wrecked the Labour party's chances against Thatcher in the '80s, still had plenty of good words to say about him.
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