Former MP wins award for political writing

FORMER Bristol MP Tony Benn has received a lifetime achievement award for his political writing.

The veteran Labour politician, pictured, was MP for Bristol South East between 1950-60, and again from 1963-83. His prodigious output of diaries, memoirs and political writing was recognised at the Political Book Awards ceremony in London yesterday.

The 87-year-old received a standing ovation as he accepted the award from another former Labour MP and fellow diarist Chris Mullin.

Iain Dale, who created the Political Book Awards, said: "These awards celebrate the fantastic breadth of political writing in the UK today.

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"We hope that they will encourage more people both to write and read political literature, and that they will become an annual event in the publishing awards calendar."

Mr Benn had a long and controversial career as a Labour MP and minister, including spells as postmaster general and Energy Secretary.

In the 1970s he also became a champion of the party's left and hate figure for right-wingers. He narrowly missed being elected deputy leader of the Labour Party in 1981.

At the 1983 general election Mr Benn's Bristol South East constituency was abolished by boundary changes, and he lost Bristol South to a Conservative.