Tony Benn's Tribute to Emily Davison by Reg Meuross live at Hope Hall Exeter - a #TwiggsGigs event

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• published: 26 Apr 2015
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A song about two legendary social campaigners.from Reg Meuross' latest album Album England Green & England Grey, about the plaque Tony had placed in a broom cupboard in The House of Commons to commemorate the night Emily Davison spent there on the eve of the 1911 census, so she could give that as her address and further the rights of votes for women. 2 years later Emily died after flinging herself under the King's horse in the Epsom Derby www.regmeuross.com TONY & EMILY She slips through the doorway Away from the crowds down the stairs - she steals through the night Just a plain looking woman Concealed in her coat and her cares - pursuing her right In a tangle of corridors Furtively turning the locks - the day growing dim Footsteps in the distance She hears the men coming her way - the last door gives in There in the dark with the mops and the brooms She opens her handkerchief makes herself room A small piece of bread and a small piece of cheese And a jar filled with water between her knees By the light of a candle she reads a small book And she waits – and she waits On the third day of April Nineteen eleven she woke - and she gave her address ‘These houses of commons houses of men and now me’ - she smoothed down her dress ‘I’m not asking for favours Just claiming what’s rightfully mine’ - she cried to the world ‘To rebel against tyrants Is to show your allegiance to god’ - she cried as she fell A hundred years later he slips down the stairs And he senses her purpose he breathes in her air He’s made her a sign which he nails to the door He knows the equality Emily gave her life for He lights a small candle to honour her name And he waits – and he waits TONY BENN’S TRIBUTE TO EMILY DAVISON “In this broom cupboard Emily Wilding Davison hid herself, during the night of the 1911 census. She was a brave suffragette campaigning for votes for women at a time when parliament denied them that right. In this way she was able to record her address on the night of that census as being ‘The House of Commons’, thus making her claim to the same political rights as men. Emily Wilding Davison died in June 1913 from injuries sustained when she threw herself under the king’s horse at The Derby to draw attention to the injustice suffered by women. By such means was democracy won for the people of Britain” Tony Benn MP