Veteran politician Tony Benn takes to the stage at Shrewsbury’s new Theatre Severn tomorrow night. He tells Star writer Andy Richardson why he enjoys coming to Shropshire.

When Tony Benn left the House of Commons after 51 years he made this joke: “I’m leaving Parliament so that I can devote more time to politics.” The thing was, of course, it was far from a joke.

The man who was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963, who served as Minister of Technology, Secretary of State for Industry and Secretary of State for Energy, and who was a constant thorn in the side of Mrs Thatcher, was utterly serious.

Since stepping down as an MP, following a half century of highly principled service, Tony Benn has been busier than ever.

Last year, the 83-year-old attended 161 meetings and filmed 175 broadcasts. That’s in addition to attending countless marches and demonstrations. His schedule also involves regular talks around the UK at theatres and assembly halls. In recent times he’s visited Ludlow for An Evening With Tony Benn. And on February 26 he’ll be back in Shropshire with a similar performance at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn.

He said: “I’ve been to Shropshire many times, of course. During the course of my life I’ve travelled round a great deal. The thing about An Evening With Tony Benn is that it’s a discussion. I talk long enough to start a discussion and it’s very informal. It’s very unlike TV broadcasts, for instance.

“When you see the Prime Minister deliver an address, he’s already planned what he’s going to say. He’s not answering questions or listening to people. He just says what he wants to say. My evenings are the opposite.”

The sprightly octogenarian enjoys the stimulus of debate. He relishes the opportunity to listen to those who want to make political points, to question his beliefs or to discuss affairs of the day.

Mr Benn adds: “Now, I have a great freedom because I don’t want anyone to vote for me any more. I want to talk about things that are of greatest concern, like the Middle East, the UN and Europe or the economy. I want to encourage people to say what they feel.”

Mr Benn will talk during his performance in Shrewsbury about the parlous state of the nation’s economy.

He adds: “We have been told for years the Government should keep out and leave everything to the market, but that has been a catastrophe. There needs to be intervention.

“Thirty years ago, Thatcher, and then in more recent times, Blair, said leave it to the market. But we now see the consequence of that. I don’t believe boom and slump are like the winter and spring.”

But the thing about An Evening With Tony Benn that its creator enjoys most of all is the opportunity to listen. He entered politics so that he could serve and, despite no longer being a Parliamentarian, he still seeks to do that.

He said: “What I really enjoy is the opportunity to listen. This is the funny thing about being an MP for 51 years. For hours, I listened to people’s problems. Everything I learned, I learned from listening. The nicest letter I had when I left Parliament said: ‘Dear Tony, I have retired as a teacher. I got a grant to go to teacher training college 40 years ago because of you’. It was so nice to feel that I’d actually helped someone.”

Shropshire theatre-goers who attend the long-serving politician’s talk can expect a good dose of humility from him. He is sanguine about his life in the front line and he accepts that, in the rough and tumble of politics, mistakes are made.

“I made a lot of mistakes but I don’t think that’s wrong. You learn from mistakes. The only thing I would be ashamed of was saying things that I didn’t believe, just to get on. I suppose if I’ve done anything useful I’ve encouraged people. When you are encouraged you do twice as well. My job, as an old person, is to encourage people.”

When Tony Benn is not devoting time to politics, he spends the hours with his family. Though his wife, Caroline Benn, died of cancer on November 22, 2000, aged 74, after a career as a prominent educationalist, he has a large and close family.

“I’ve got four kids and 10 grandchildren and I try to encourage them all.”

Of course, being a Benn, even his family time is punctuated by politics. His son, Hilary, is a Government minister.

Mr Benn added: “Hilary’s work is terribly important in international development and now environment. I am very proud of him. We talk constantly.”

Tony Benn’s legacy is vast. He’s been one of the UK’s best-known politicians for half a century, and is a man of principle who continues to strive for others. He was one of the few UK politicians to have become left wing after holding ministerial office. He also has become ever more interested in the grass-roots politics of demonstrations and meetings, and ever less in parliamentary activities. He has been a vegetarian since the 1970s.

He adds: “When I said I was leaving Parliament to devote more time to politics, I meant it. I haven’t got a secretary. When people ask my occupation, I say I am an office worker.

“As long as my health goes on, I will continue to do this. I did this big meeting in Trafalgar Square the other day with 40,000 people, regarding the Middle East crisis. I like to have a lot going on.”

At the age of 83, Mr Benn has a lot going on. And Shropshire residents can learn more about his activities at Theatre Severn.