Tony Banks R.I.P.

[Nadine]

Sadly, veteran animal rights campaigner Tony Banks has had a massive stroke whilst in America. Medics are reporting his condition as 'very grave'.
Tony has a well known track record on opposing animal abuse in many many forms, and was one of those who lead the Labour backbench rebuttal of Blair's 'middle-way' sell-out on Fox Hunting.
Whatever faith you are, whatever your beliefs or non-beliefs, please send your thoughts, energies and well wishes towards this great friend of the animals, and let us all hope he somehow recovers.

[Barley]

Very sad news indeed. I do hope he gets over this.

[cedarblue]

Hope he recovers...

[gertvegan]

Ex-minister Tony Banks dies in US

8 January 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk

Former sports minister Tony Banks has died after suffering a massive stroke on holiday in the US at the age of 62.
The ex-Labour MP for West Ham and latterly Lord Stratford, was at lunch on Sanibel Island, Florida, on Thursday when he collapsed.

Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to "one of the most charismatic politicians in Britain".

An avid Chelsea football club fan, in 1999 he led an unsuccessful UK bid to host the World Cup at Wembley.

Fellow Chelsea fan and friend, former Tory minister David Mellow, said he was a "man of passion" who possessed a "sharp and witty tongue".

"But he exuded such joie de vivre that no-one could seriously take offence to his opinions.

"He was immensely popular on both sides of the House."

Lord Stratford became an MP in 1983 but did not stand in last year's election.

He was known for his forthright views while an MP. His popularity with the public gave him a "man of the people" image.

As an MP, his office was based in Stratford, east London, for 20 years, an area where he also lived.

He took his role in the cabinet in Tony Blair's first administration but resigned in 1999 to concentrate on the World Cup bid.

The Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, said that he played a crucial role in winning big sporting events for the UK:

"He was heavily involved in the bid for England to host the 2006 World Cup. We lost that.

"We won the Olympic bid, and Tony with complete frankness and candor and in many self deprecating moments shared a lot of what he felt went wrong with the World Cup bid to help us do better with the Olympics."

Personal conviction

From the backbenches he pursued his passion for animal welfare, contributing to the Hunting Bill debate.

John Cooper, chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports said of Lord Stratford, the League's vice-president: "In his firm belief that people have a moral responsibility in respect of how they treat animals, Tony Banks was not just a figurehead for millions of animal welfare supporters across Britain, but a determined street fighter in the corridors of Westminster."

He sought to be selected as Labour's candidate for the 2003 London Mayoral election, but was defeated by Nicky Gavron.

He caused surprise by taking the title Lord Stratford when made a working peer last year. But he called it a "nom de politics", saying he still expected to be largely known as Tony Banks.

The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson described the peer as "one of the great characters of Westminster" who cared passionately about politics.

The current sports minister, Richard Caborn, said his friend and former colleague had "left his mark in sport, football in particular", and was a "man of conviction who got his very serious point across", but was "never bitter and never personal".

[Kevster]

Good on him for sticking his oar in.

I remember watching pmqs shortly after the Afghanistan war had 'ended',and he stood up and asked what was going to happen to the animals at the zoo in Kabal, as there had recently been a report on how they weren't getting looked after. Most MPs were there looking very puzzled.

[Stu]

I am seriously saddened by this news.

He really was a free thinker and a true individual. He was also someone who we can all genuinely draw inspiration from.

[harpy]

yes, it's very sad. He seemed to be a nice, amusing bloke, as well as an effective campaigner.

[Nadine]

Truly gutted about this. There were few enough politicians who cared about animals in the way Banksie did, and even fewer that would actually risk their careers for the animals' sake. Today politics is a sadder place without him, and the animals have one less defender to fight their corner.

Cannot really find sufficient words to express my sadness.

[cedarblue]

very sad that he has gone, thoughts go to his family.

i hope his lead will be taken up by more in politics - though i am struggling to call to mind any more willing to speak out with opinions on compassionate causes...

[gertvegan]

Obituary: Tony Banks

9 January 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk

Tony Banks was a parliamentary character who has made more impact on the general public than most of his colleagues, with his "man of the people" image.
The former sports minister - who became Lord Stratford when he was made a working peer in summer 2005 - was an MP from 1983 until he stood down at the general election in June that year.

He was born in Belfast in 1943 and educated at schools in south London, and then York University and the London School of Economics.

Like many on the Labour benches, he made a long political journey from the far left, beginning his political life in the 1970s as a prominent Labour councillor on the Greater London Council.

Soon after becoming an MP, he offered to resign his Newham North West (now West Ham) seat in east London so that Tony Benn could re-enter Parliament to stand as Labour's leader.

By 1997 the avid Chelsea fan had moderated his views sufficiently to be offered the role of sports minister by Tony Blair.

But he was never fully comfortable in government, and at that autumn's Labour party conference he caused offence by comparing then Tory leader William Hague to a foetus.

In 1999, Mr Banks resigned his ministerial post to concentrate on the unsuccessful bid to host the 2006 World Cup at Wembley.

The vegetarian MP continued to pursue his passion for animal welfare from the backbenches, making an outspoken contribution to the Hunting Bill debate.

Mr Banks put himself forward to challenge Mr Livingstone as Labour's candidate for the 2004 London Mayoral election, but was defeated by Nicky Gavron.

'Gravy-train existence'

After he resigned in May, Mr Banks said he had realised it was time to leave Westminster when his constituency work became tedious.

"It's 22 years of the same cases, but just the faces and the people changing.

"I found it intellectually numbing, tedious in the extreme.

"All you were was a sort of high-powered social worker and perhaps not even a good one. So I won't miss that," he said.

But Mr Banks said he would miss his role as chairman of the Works of Art Committee, which looks after historic paintings and sculptures in Westminster.

It was "straightforward fun" that gave him "intellectual enjoyment".

Upset by media reports suggesting MPs were enjoying a gravy-train existence, he said: "I'm going to leave the House of Commons with overdrafts in all my bank accounts, with hardly any savings.

"Now, I'm not complaining about that because I represent an area where people are very poor, but... that was a personal thing that really upset me."

He caused surprise by taking the title Lord Stratford when made a working peer in summer 2005.

But he called it a "nom de politics", saying he still expected to be largely known as Tony Banks.

Click the link for a few videos.

[snaffler]

A very sad loss to first his family and friends and a sad loss to the world of politics. A man with such passion and commitment to so many good causes and a man who was in the place to make changes happen.

Anyone who calls William Hage a fetus is a top man in my book

RIP Tony your passion and love of all things cruelty free will be missed in the debates.

I also read in the paper this morning this man kicked the HP canteen into supplying good vegan and veggie meals.

[boomer]

Very sad

[gertvegan]

From www.animalaid.org.uk

In memory of Tony Banks: A champion of animals

Everyone at Animal Aid is very upset to hear of Tony Banks's death. He was a vegetarian and an outspoken supporter of and tenacious worker for animal welfare and animal rights.

Last summer Tony agreed to open and take part in Animal Aid's annual sponsored walk, where we presented him with a special award for championing the cause of animal protection over so many years. As well as walking the course, he stayed for the whole day, talking, listening and arguing about politics, animal rights and his recent elevation (though he strongly disputed that was the correct word) to the House of Lords. As a member of the Greater London Council he had been involved in animal campaigning, including banning animal circuses from Council land, and then as an MP he had continued his animal work, notably helping to ensure that the ban on hunting was not dropped by the Government.

Also last year, Animal Aid interviewed Tony and he told us how he had been concerned about animal cruelty since he had been a child. He commented on the hunting ban:
"I would have preferred the Hunting Act to have been tighter than it was, but it's very hard to stop barbarous people being cruel. Legislative progress is only one part of the whole process of a move towards a civilised society. It will be part of what I call 'the withering on the vine process'. Hunting will gradually disappear and it will be helped by legislation and enforcement, but it will remain hard to stop the efforts of loathsome barbarous individuals."

He also gave advice for animal rights supporters frustrated by the slow rate of progress:
"Never allow yourself to be broken. Animals need you. It's a battle to win hearts and minds and you won't do it with violence. It gives both the public and MPs an excuse to ignore you."

Tony never ignored us, and he never allowed other people to ignore him. He was one of our best spokespeople, and we will miss him.

[PinkLogik]

It's such a shock.

To look at him you'd have never guessed he was over 60.

It's very sad.

[Spiral]

Tony Banks was a great animal advocate and will be missed by those who care about the welfare and rights of animals. I spoke to him a couple of times at Labour party conference fringe meetings about animal issues before they came to power in 1997. He seemed like a genuinely good bloke who was passionate about helping animals through the political system. RIP Tony Banks.

[Barley]

I will always remember him with great affection. It was such a relief to know he was there for the animals - now he is no more. I will never forget how disparaging he was on 'Any Questions' once when Robin Page (One man and his Dog) was on the panel. Too much to write here, but if anyone else heard it, you'll know what I mean. A great man, a great speaker, a man of principle. We will never forget you.

[coconut]

That's such a shame. I can't believe I'd never heard of the guy until a few days ago. They showed some footage on the news of him arguing the case against fox hunting in the house of commons and he was amazingly passionate. Cruelty to animals was clearly something that really angered him.

[gertvegan]

From http://www.peta.org.uk

Animals Lose a Great Friend: Tony Banks

“Animals give the human race loyalty and love, and we are the better for sharing this world with them. We also owe them duties of care, understanding and compassion.”
– Tony Banks

On Sunday, 8 January, PETA lost a dear friend when former sports minister and Member of Parliament Tony Banks, who became Lord Stratford last year, died after suffering a stroke in Florida.

When animals needed a political ally, they could always rely on Tony. Perhaps best known for his work to ensure the passage of a bill to ban hunting with hounds, Tony championed animal issues in ways both large and small for decades.

Most recently, Tony supported PETA’s campaign calling on Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth and the Ministry of Defence to stop using fur from bears killed in Canada to make headpieces for the five Guards regiments and instead to make the hats using luxurious faux fur. He was outraged that bears were either shot during a hunt or ensnared, possibly for days, in cruel traps and wrote to the secretary of state last month asking for a ban on the use of skins from bears. Please, in memory of Tony, sign our petition today to help stop this cruelty.


An ethical vegetarian, Tony hosted a PETA veggie-burger giveaway for MPs outside the House of Commons in 1996, when mad cow disease was causing many people to have second thoughts about their Sunday roasts.

In 2001, when London Mayor Ken Livingstone introduced a ban on feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square, Tony marched down to the square to voice his opposition in front of the world’s media and later tabled a Commons motion in order to save the “gentle London pigeon”. “The square’s feral pigeons are sociable and intelligent creatures who have become accustomed to a food source provided by human beings”, Tony said. He added that to cut off their food abruptly would be “cruel and lacking in compassion”. Thanks to his intervention, Mayor Livingstone was forced to compromise and allow managed feeding, ensuring that the birds did not suffer.

Tony used his political clout to speak out for animals at every opportunity. He joined actor Bea Arthur outside Harrods to protest the sale of foie gras by the world-famous department store; spoke out in the House of Commons about the plight of animals in war-torn Iraq; tabled an Early Day Motion concerning the plight of cattle in India and was a staunch defender of animals in laboratories, of whom he said, “I listen to so-called experts, but I remain unconvinced of the need for animals in experiments. History is littered with the mistakes of experts, be they scientific, political or medical, and I think this is how animal experimentation will be judged”.

Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. One could also say that the greatness of a person can be judged by the way he or she treats animals. By this and many other measures, Tony Banks was a great man, and he will be thought of with fondness, admiration and deep respect by all those who campaign in behalf of animals. Tony will be sadly missed by all here at PETA. Animals have lost a true friend.

[gertvegan]

Banks family hold private funeral

21 January 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk

he funeral of former sports minister Tony Banks has taken place in London, with mourners paying tribute to a "lord of misrule" and "a loveable rogue".
Among those at the private ceremony were cabinet ministers John Prescott, Tessa Jowell and Margaret Beckett.

The ex-Labour MP for West Ham and later Lord Stratford died on 8 January aged 62 after suffering a stroke in Florida.

His widow Sally has launched a campaign in his memory to stop the killing of baby seals in the Canadian Arctic.

"He was passionate about animal welfare, and passionate about this issue, to bring it back to UK public notice because the UK public in the 1970s were very instrumental in lobbying," she told BBC News.

The couple had previously campaigned to halt the killing of the seal pups in Canada and succeeded in having the practice partially banned.

Animal rights

He was also known for his love of Chelsea football team.

Former Tory cabinet minister and fellow fan, David Mellor, told mourners at the City of London Crematorium: "Tony ate, slept and breathed Chelsea, not one of life's softest options when you think that for more than two decades he represented West Ham.

"Tony was a diehard and occasionally an embittered partisan, impassioned, not to say inflammatory, in his opinions.

He added: "A lord of misrule, a cheeky chappy, call him what you will - he can be defined, but he cannot be replaced."

Mrs Beckett, one of Lord Stratford's political allies, said his opponents "wore their Tony Banks insults like a badge of honour".

"If ever a phrase was coined to describe one person it's the words loveable rogue. That is how I will remember him," she said.

Lord Stratford became an MP in 1983 but did not stand in last year's election.

He caused surprise by taking the title Lord Stratford when made a working peer in summer 2005. But he called it a "nom de politics", saying he still expected to be largely known as Tony Banks.

As an MP, Tony Banks' office was based in Stratford, east London, for 20 years, an area where he also lived. He was known for his forthright views, and his popularity with the public gave him a "man of the people" image.

He took his ministerial role in Tony Blair's first administration but resigned in 1999 to concentrate on the unsuccessful bid to host the 2006 World Cup at Wembley.

The vegetarian MP continued to pursue his passion for animal welfare from the backbenches, contributing to the Hunting Bill debate.

His widow said the couple had been working on plans to put pressure on the Canadians to ban the culling of baby seals before his death.

"Tony's death is a terrible loss to me and to the campaign. I am determined to try to fill the gap."

[Blueshark]

Damn. Thats terrible.

[veggiewoman]

I was totally gutted when I heard about his passing. I even gave him my own tribute to him on my msn by having my name R.I.P Tony Banks, you will be sadly missed.
Why is it always the good people that die young hey , and all those evil people out there that live to see 100.

With his passing , we all need to do yet even MORE so to make up for what he would want to have done himself.

R.I.P. Tony , gone but never forgotton xxx

[gertvegan]

Did anyone go to the public vigil in memory of the late Tony Banks MP today? Or even the formal memorial service staged in the House of Commons??