Tony Benn is revered by many on the left and perhaps recalled as a rather too radical figure by centrists and those on the right.
His role as a constitutional innovator is less well remembered.
He campaigned for and was successful in getting the law changed so that he could renounce his inherited title of Lord Stansgate and resume his seat as an MP in 1963
When it came to the 1975 EEC Referendum Benn was responsible for a change in what might be called a constitutional convention, namely that Cabinet’s had collective responsibility for decisions taken and anyone speaking out against would lose their seat at the Cabinet table.
Harold Wilson won the October 1974 Election and renegotiated the terms of British membership of the then EEC. He declared that most of what was required had been achieved. In order to give that decision a democratic mandate he called a Referendum. Wilson declared in favour of remain but Benn had already secured the right of Cabinet Ministers to campaign for either remain or leave.
As it turned out the vote was to remain and decisively so 67% to 32%
In 2019 Jeremy Corbyn has proposed a Referendum where he, as a future PM, would remain neutral. Labour itself might not, depending on conference decisions. However it seems clear that future Cabinet members would be free to campaign for either remain or leave (although I suspect most would be for remain). Benn’s 1975, tweaked for the circumstances of 2019, remains in place
Tony Benn’s Diary
Tuesday 21st January 1975
Cabinet where the entire morning was devoted to the referendum on the European Community following our renegotiated terms.
First Harold said that he thought an agreement among Ministers to differ would be acceptable from the moment of Cabinet decision. We would need guidelines to ensure that we all behaved in a comradely way..
Thursday 23rd January 1975
I heard Harold make his historic statement in Parliament, that there would be a Referendum on 5th June and that Ministers would be free to speak and to vote- a notable constitutional change. I am intensely proud to have been associated with it
Correct then but not an appropriate solution in today’s conditions faced with a radical right wing pro-Trump Brexit. Labour’s official policy must be to campaign to remain reform revolt in a new referendum now we know what Brexit really means. We can take on European competition law together with other European radical and left wing forces such as the Solidaires unions in France (out on strike yesterday against climate change..if only we could do likewise). If Labour doesn’t change course this week, then Johnson/ Cummings/Farage are quite likely to lead us over the precipice and the wholesale closure of much of the remains of manufacturing, completing the financialisation of British capital started by Thatcher – foolishly cheered on by much of the British far left. Aargh!
I voted Remain but suffice to say I don’t agree with this rose tinted view of the neo-liberal EU