60 Faces: Tony Benn -

Tony Benn was a towering figure in British politics and a stalwart of the peace and anti-nuclear movement. His anti-nuclear principles underpinned so much of his political work. In February 1958, the month of CND’s foundation, Tony resigned his position as one of Labour’s front bench spokesmen on Defence, stating that he could not, ‘under any circumstances, support a policy which contemplated the use of atomic weapons in war’. He stood by CND on every occasion since, most recently serving as a vice-president.

Tony was involved with the anti-nuclear campaign from the beginning, and in 1954 was one of a number of Labour MPs who set up the Hydrogen Bomb National Campaign. He was an MP for 47 years and a Cabinet minister in the Labour governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan in the 1960s and 1970s.

What is 60 faces of CND?
2018 is the 60th anniversary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Founded in 1958 at the height of the Cold War, CND has been a powerful collective voice against the dangers of nuclear weapons.

CND’s greatest strength has always been its members.
Incredible people have shaped our history,
our present and will continue to inspire in the future.

Here we take a look at 60 Faces of CND,
60 people who represent all the millions of people
who have campaigned for nuclear disarmament over the decades
and have made our organisation so remarkable.

60 Faces homepage