Big Ideas That Changed the World 4 - Tony Benn on Democracy

Tony Benn discusses the history of democracy, from its origins in ancient Greece to the present day. The programme dwells on the Magna Carta, the Peasant's Revolt, the birth of the trade union movement and Britain's long, slow move toward universal suffrage - which would only come to pass in the 20th century. Benn also considers the birth of the welfare state, how the increasingly free nature of the British state made the Empire an untenable proposition, and outlines the threat he sees to democracy over the last few decades, arguing power has become increasingly concentrated in the hands of corporations - which are in no way answerable to the populace.