--- title: "10 Democratic Quotes By Tony Benn" description: "10 Democratic quotes by Tony Benn. Plus more from Tony Benn and more Democratic sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/tony-benn-2543_democracy_if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who_3182759.png" --- > [If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who-govern-you-you-do-not-live-in/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/tony-benn-2543_democracy_if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who_3182759.png) > [I think to understand how the democratic process works is the most important thing, so people don't get frightened by it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/i-think-to-understand-how-the-democratic-process-works-is-the-most/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/tony-benn-2543_democracy_i-think-to-understand-how-the-democratic_2841781.png) > [People in debt become hopeless and hopeless people don’t vote. They always say that that everyone should vote but I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-in-debt-become-hopeless-and-hopeless-people-don-t-vote-they/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/tony-benn-2543_britain_people-in-debt-become-hopeless-and-hopel_228723.jpg) > [When I saw how the European Union was developing, it was very obvious what they had in mind was not democratic. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/when-i-saw-how-the-european-union-was-developing-it-was-very-obvious/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/tony-benn-2543_britain_when-i-saw-how-the-european-union-was-de_1965194.jpg) > [If one meets a powerful person - Adolf Hitler, Joe Stalin or Bill Gates - ask them five questions: 'What power have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/if-one-meets-a-powerful-person-adolf-hitler-joe-stalin-or-bill-gates-2/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/tony-benn-2543_asks_if-one-meets-a-powerful-person-adolf-hit_1069795.png) > [If the Queen can reject the advice of a minister on a little thing like a postage stamp, what would happen if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/if-the-queen-can-reject-the-advice-of-a-minister-on-a-little-thing/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/tony-benn-2543_advice_if-the-queen-can-reject-the-advice-of-a_3122119.png) > [The present combination of corporate or commercial control theoretically answerable to politically appointed Boards of Governors is not in any sense a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/the-present-combination-of-corporate-or-commercial-control/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/tony-benn-2543_boards_the-present-combination-of-corporate-or_1846251.png) > [Nelson Mandela was a terrorist. And then he wins the world peace prize and becomes president of South Africa. That's how change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/nelson-mandela-was-a-terrorist-and-then-he-wins-the-world-peace-prize/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/tony-benn-2543_democratic_nelson-mandela-was-a-terrorist-and-then_2101172.png) > [The general election of 1983 has produced one important result that has passed virtually without comment in the media. It is that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/the-general-election-of-1983-has-produced-one-important-result-that/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/tony-benn-2543_analysis_the-general-election-of-1983-has-produce_2541849.jpg) > [Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by direct action, has played a far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/change-from-below-the-formulation-of-demands-from-the-populace-to-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ed/tony-benn-2543_action_change-from-below-the-formulation-of-dem_53115.jpg) ## Other authors on Democratic ## More by Tony Benn > [Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/experience-is-the-only-real-teacher-and-if-you-keep-a-diary-you-get/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Someone comes every morning at nine o'clock to see if I am still alive. I do get lonely, yes, but I have the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/someone-comes-every-morning-at-nine-o-clock-to-see-if-i-am-still/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Middle class Labour leaders are recaptured by the establishment when they die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/middle-class-labour-leaders-are-recaptured-by-the-establishment-when/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by direct action, has played a far larger part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/change-from-below-the-formulation-of-demands-from-the-populace-to-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People would do well to ask themselves how many of their ambitions and aspirations derive from the type of economic system they inhabit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-would-do-well-to-ask-themselves-how-many-of-their-ambitions/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/most-things-in-life-are-moments-of-pleasure-and-a-lifetime-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [You have to try to build support around causes. It is uniting to campaign on a single issue, and it is never just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/you-have-to-try-to-build-support-around-causes-it-is-uniting-to/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Normally, people give up parliament because they want to do more business or spend more time with family. My wife said 'why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/normally-people-give-up-parliament-because-they-want-to-do-more/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Food movement organic food stores supplies health food products and facilitate with instrumental support in organic agriculture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/food-movement-organic-food-stores-supplies-health-food-products-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [We are not just here to manage capitalism but to change society and to define its finer values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/we-are-not-just-here-to-manage-capitalism-but-to-change-society-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [I think there are two ways in which people are controlled - first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-people-are-controlled-first-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People in debt become hopeless and hopeless people don’t vote. They always say that that everyone should vote but I think that if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-in-debt-become-hopeless-and-hopeless-people-don-t-vote-they/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Workers are not going to be fobbed off with a few shares...or by a carbon copy of the German system of co-determination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/workers-are-not-going-to-be-fobbed-off-with-a-few-shares-or-by-a/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [No medieval monarch in the whole of British history ever had such power as every modern British Prime Minister has in his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/no-medieval-monarch-in-the-whole-of-british-history-ever-had-such/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Having served in eleven Parliaments, it would be difficult to describe this as a maiden speech. It would be like Elizabeth Taylor appearing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/having-served-in-eleven-parliaments-it-would-be-difficult-to-describe/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/tony-benn/#itemlist", "name": "10 Democratic Quotes By Tony Benn", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Benn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who-govern-you-you-do-not-live-in/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/tony-benn-2543_democracy_if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who_3182759.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/tony-benn-2543_democracy_if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who_3182759.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/tony-benn-2543_democracy_if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who_3182759.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system.” — Tony Benn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think to understand how the democratic process works is the most important thing, so people don't get frightened by it, and get put off, and give up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Benn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/i-think-to-understand-how-the-democratic-process-works-is-the-most/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/tony-benn-2543_democracy_i-think-to-understand-how-the-democratic_2841781.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/tony-benn-2543_democracy_i-think-to-understand-how-the-democratic_2841781.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/tony-benn-2543_democracy_i-think-to-understand-how-the-democratic_2841781.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think to understand how the democratic process works is the most important thing, so people don't get…” — Tony Benn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People in debt become hopeless and hopeless people don’t vote. 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Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?' 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If the Crown personally can reject advice, then, of course, the whole democratic facade turns out to be false", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Benn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/if-the-queen-can-reject-the-advice-of-a-minister-on-a-little-thing/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/tony-benn-2543_advice_if-the-queen-can-reject-the-advice-of-a_3122119.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/tony-benn-2543_advice_if-the-queen-can-reject-the-advice-of-a_3122119.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/tony-benn-2543_advice_if-the-queen-can-reject-the-advice-of-a_3122119.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the Queen can reject the advice of a minister on a little thing like a postage stamp, what would happen…” — Tony Benn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The present combination of corporate or commercial control theoretically answerable to politically appointed Boards of Governors is not in any sense a democratic enough procedure to control the power the broadcasters have.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Benn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/the-present-combination-of-corporate-or-commercial-control/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/tony-benn-2543_boards_the-present-combination-of-corporate-or_1846251.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/tony-benn-2543_boards_the-present-combination-of-corporate-or_1846251.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/tony-benn-2543_boards_the-present-combination-of-corporate-or_1846251.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The present combination of corporate or commercial control theoretically answerable to politically appointed…” — Tony Benn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nelson Mandela was a terrorist. And then he wins the world peace prize and becomes president of South Africa. That's how change happens. It's very important not to differentiate protest from the democratic process.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Benn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/nelson-mandela-was-a-terrorist-and-then-he-wins-the-world-peace-prize/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/tony-benn-2543_democratic_nelson-mandela-was-a-terrorist-and-then_2101172.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/tony-benn-2543_democratic_nelson-mandela-was-a-terrorist-and-then_2101172.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/tony-benn-2543_democratic_nelson-mandela-was-a-terrorist-and-then_2101172.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nelson Mandela was a terrorist. And then he wins the world peace prize and becomes president of South…” — Tony Benn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The general election of 1983 has produced one important result that has passed virtually without comment in the media. It is that, for the first time since 1945, a political party with an openly socialist policy has received the support of over eight and a half million people. This is a remarkable development by any standards and it deserves some analysis ... the 1983 Labour manifesto commanded the loyalty of millions of voters and a democratic socialist bridge-head in public understanding and support can be made.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Benn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/the-general-election-of-1983-has-produced-one-important-result-that/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/tony-benn-2543_analysis_the-general-election-of-1983-has-produce_2541849.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/tony-benn-2543_analysis_the-general-election-of-1983-has-produce_2541849.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/tony-benn-2543_analysis_the-general-election-of-1983-has-produce_2541849.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The general election of 1983 has produced one important result that has passed virtually without comment in…” — Tony Benn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by direct action, has played a far larger part in shaping British democracy than most constitutional lawyers, political commentators, historians or statesmen have ever cared to admit. Direct action in a democratic society is fundamentally an educational exercise.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Benn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/change-from-below-the-formulation-of-demands-from-the-populace-to-end/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ed/tony-benn-2543_action_change-from-below-the-formulation-of-dem_53115.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ed/tony-benn-2543_action_change-from-below-the-formulation-of-dem_53115.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ed/tony-benn-2543_action_change-from-below-the-formulation-of-dem_53115.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by…” — Tony Benn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/tony-benn/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/tony-benn/", "name": "Democratic Quotes by Tony Benn", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/tony-benn/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/tony-benn-2543_democracy_if-you-cannot-get-rid-of-the-people-who_3182759.png" }, "description": "10 Democratic quotes by Tony Benn. 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