Tony Benn speaks to the Guardian (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Tony Benn speaks to the Guardian

3:10pm Thursday 22nd February 2007 in News By Sarah Cosgrove

FOLLOWING our previous report about veteran politican Tony's Benn's views on the William Morris Gallery, he called our office to expand on the letter he had written.

Mr Benn said Waltham Forest should be proud of William Morris and promote the borough's links with him.

He told your local Guardian, that he had been greatly influenced by William Morris, and had been to the gallery many times, as a visitor and as a guest speaker.

"It's part of my life. I was actually horrified to find they are cutting it back," he said.

"I have been greatly influenced by William Morris. He was a really major figure. There's a connection between the art and the politics and I think the connection between those two and his writing is something that Walthamstow should be immensely proud of."

As well as being the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement, Morris was an ardent socialist and worked closely with Eleanor Marx, the daughter of Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engles.

He believed that artisan manufacturing, such as cabinet building, printmaking and illustration, was more important than fine art, and was creative and ennobling for working people, who were mostly stuck working in factory jobs with long hours and bad conditions.

Mr Benn said that the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow was very important as it was the only one in the country which told people about his socialist viewpoints and allowed visitors to see his writings, rather than just focusing on his art.

The senior Labour left-winger also thought people should be encouraged to visit the gallery more rather than less.

"Wherever you go in the world, people have heard of William Morris.

"I just visited The Science Museum at half term and there was a huge queue of children going there. There must be an effort to encourage people to come to Walthamstow."