In June of this year Tony Benn took part in a radio discussion on the working of Parliament, together with John Biffen and Roy (Lord) Jenkins. Asked by the chairman, Peter Hennessy, if he did not think that the Lords now functioned as a 'focus of opposition', Benn responded that it was, instead, 'part of an attack on democracy. After all, why bother to vote in the next election if you've got a friendly peer you can write to ...' After a little more of this, Jenkins cut in, the dwawl part amused, part irritated. 'You do live in a wonderful fantasy world,' he said.

LRB 24 November 1988 | PDF Download