BENN & BOND

 This week we've been to see the new James Bond film,'Skyfall' and to Pontardawe to hear Tony Benn talk about his life in politics. James Bond and Tony Benn may seem light years from each other, but ... Both are deemed national treasures. Both stand up for what is right although their tactics may be different. There's always a villain in a Bond movie. Tony Benn has often been villified by the media for standing up for the under dog, for his beliefs about democracy and accountability. They both admire the uses of technology. Bond uses it to overcome evil. Benn has always been an advocate for technology that improves our lives.  I'll come to who gets the girl later.
        Daniel Craig is of course wonderful to behold as Bond-a Greek God-like figure, who lives on the edge and  runs like Forest Gump. Tony left Government in 2001 to devote more time to politics. At 87 he may not hear very well but is still sharp, witty. His integirity shines through.
        'Skyfall' has a PG/12 certificate which affects the usual steamy sex scenes-there aren't any. Q is a young geek- a computer wizard but without the gadgetry of the old Q. There's more background to Bond's attachment issues- he was orphaned at 9.  'Skyfall' heralds Bond for an acquisitve younger generation with its computer games and merchandise. Benn is anti-capitalist  through and through.
         In Bond's world it's easy to identify the hero from the villain, good from evil. In Benn's world it's much more complicated but his principles can be simply summarized, 'Say what you mean and mean what you say'. In his recent book,'Letters to my Grandchildren: Thoughts on the Future,' he sets out his ideas on how we can change our world: Give votes to 16yr olds, cut the defence budget, abandon nuclear power, invest in the housing market, save the NHS, reinstate trade union rights, create social enterprises on the cooperative model, re-nationalise the railways and nationalise the banks, make politicians accountable-power to the people!
          Suppose you've guessed who gets the girl.