Health permitting, Tony Benn is planning to visit Wigan’s Diggers Festival to receive a special award….

Veteran Left-winger Tony Benn hopes to attend the 3rd Diggers’ Festival in Wigan, Lancashire, on the 7th September to receive the first ‘Gerrard Winstanley Spade’ award – the festival’s equivalent of an ‘Oscar’ in the shape of small brass spade mounted along with an engraved plaque in a framed display case.

Though ill-health may still yet prevent him from attending, he has spoken of his pride of being honoured with the award, by the festival’s organising committee, for “an outstanding contribution to making the Earth a common treasury for all in the spirit of Gerrard Winstanley, leader of the Diggers.”

They look forward to presenting it to him at the festival, and if that doesn’t prove possible, doing so soon afterwards, at a time and place convenient to him.

Read more about the festival and some background to Winstanley and ‘The Diggers’ HERE.