Ex-MP equates Labour with Nazis and Stalinists

A former member of two Labour governments has accused the ruling party of behaving like Nazis and Stalinists.

In an exclusive interview, Tony Benn told Gulf News that anti-terrorist legislation was a "threat to civil liberties" in the United Kingdom. He also claimed any danger from extremists here had been created by the "catastrophic" Iraq war.

"I don't want to have people locked up without being tried that's what happened in Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia. I don't want that happening in Britain," he said.

Until recently a number of terrorist suspects were held in British detention centres without charge or trial. Although released, they are now subject to a range of control orders, which can include house arrest, curfews and electronic tagging.

Benn has often been a vocal critic of Tony Blair's administration and he continued to attack the prime minister on issues including Iraq during the interview.

"The war was a catastrophe. Bush, the day he was elected decided to topple Saddam because he wanted some oil and some [military] bases and Blair went along with it. It had nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction," Benn said.

"I think the important thing first of all is to see that we get our troops out as quickly as possible and then we must be very careful because Bush may bomb Iran in June and I don't want Blair to go along with it.

"If there is a [terrorist] threat [to the United Kingdom] it's because we invaded Iraq. Somebody ought to put two and two together."

Benn was first elected as an MP in 1950 and after serving in the Labour governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan he eventually retired from parliament during 2001.

He told Gulf News the British public was unhappy with many of the policies introduced by Blair's administration.

"We are now at a point where the people are actually to the left of a Labour Government. They don't want war, they don't want privatisation, they don't want students saddled with debt," Benn said.

However, he added that he still hoped Blair would win the election.

"The Labour Party has never been a fully socialist party, but it's always had socialists in it and it works for justice. A tremendous amount of investment has gone into public services since the government came to power," Benn said.