IA sub-thread: have not always liked Tony Benn (the RETIRED left of centre Labour politician). By the way do some posters remember when the Post Office Tower now the BT Tower ) was dubbed 'Benn's erection' by Private Eye, when Benn was Minister for Posts (before BT came into being, Post Office Telephones having been hived off from the GPO). I grew to love him like one does an old treasure. Those who remember the BT Tower being built will remember Tony Benn as Viscount Anthony Wedgwood-Bennm who had an Act of Parliament passed to let him off his inheritance, so that he could go on being an MP. I always had at the back of my mind that a toff could afford to be a Socialist with the money in the bank. As I grew up politically I realised that he did really care about some things (animals being one of those things, making him dear to my heart); and in later years he'd grown up politically too, talking a great deal of sense, often transcending Party politics. Maybe a person needs to have a bit of money so that he/she is above the fray, can think and develop without having to resort to the spiv tactics displayed by so many of our politicians who have shinned up the greasy pole, feet on heads of others as they go, on both sides of the Chamber of Commons. He can put his point of view eloquently and elegantly, but can demolish the arguments of political foes so beautifully, in such a way that I think 'good old Benn, that was marvellous, wish I'd said that', I am sorry he has retired as even though people mightn't support everything he said, he commanded great respect. So, Wedgie is a special case.