"Old Labour" lost one of its longest-standing figures yesterday, as the MP for Chesterfield, Mr Tony Benn, announced that he is to resign. The 74-year-old left-wing veteran - who has contested 17 parliamentary elections - declared in a letter to his constituency Labour party that he will not stand in the next election.
He has stressed, however, that not being in parliament will not spell the end of his political career. Instead, he will concentrate on politics from outside government.
"Having served nearly half a century in the House of Commons, I now want more time to devote to politics and the freedom to do so," he said. "I have no intention of retiring and shall continue to work closely with all those, outside and inside parliament, who want to see the Labour party recommit itself to the causes of social justice, democratic socialism and peace."
Labour's longest-serving MP, Mr Benn has been an outspoken critic of New Labour and an unwelcome voice of dissent for Mr Blair's government. Unhappy with Labour's shift to centre-ground policies, he has asserted that the only way to "rebuild the Labour party now is from the outside".
"If you are in parliament now you are asked to do a lot of things that run contrary to the pledges I gave my constituents and my own convictions."
Mr Benn appeared on the political scene when he was elected as MP for Bristol Southeast in 1950. He went on to succeed his father - a hereditary peer - as Viscount Stansgate. After renouncing his title, he returned to the Commons and served under Harold Wilson as Technology Minister from 1966 until 1970. He served in the positions of Secretary of State for Industry and Energy between 1974 and 1979, and was a candidate for party leadership in 1976 and again in 1988.
Mr Benn was regarded as a party moderniser at the outset of his career but moved steadily to the left as his experience grew. Over the years the targets of his criticisms have included the BBC, the Church of England, the monarchy and the House of Lords. He has also been at the forefront of opposition to the Falkland and Gulf wars, and the NATO intervention in Kosovo.