Prunella Scales: Friend of Labour leaders and high-profile campaigner

Prunella Scales wasn't conscionable a lifelong Labour supporter. She appeared successful enactment governmental broadcasts for the enactment during the 2005 and 2010 wide elections and was a tireless campaigner.

She called the erstwhile Labour person Neil Kinnock a "dear friend" and, on with her histrion hubby Timothy West, was a salient Labour Party protagonist erstwhile Tony Blair was premier minister.

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Scales and West, who died past November, whitethorn not person been among New Labour's biggest donors astatine the time, but they were vocal cheerleaders for the Blair authorities and high-profile activists.

Her activism began overmuch earlier. Back successful 1977, astatine the tallness of her fame playing Sybil successful Fawlty Towers, she attended the motorboat of the Anti-Nazi League astatine the House of Commons with Kinnock, Peter Hain and different personage supporters.

In the 1980s, she served connected the assembly of the actors' national Equity and performed astatine a payment performance for the wives of striking miners. She besides supported the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

As good arsenic her activism during Kinnock's leadership, successful 1988 she played the Queen successful Alan Bennett's play A Question of Attribution, astatine the National Theatre, quizzing Anthony Blunt astir a coating successful the royal postulation that whitethorn person been a fake.

According to The Guardian, erstwhile she aboriginal went to Buckingham Palace to person her CBE, the Queen muttered arsenic she handed implicit the gong: "I accidental you deliberation you should beryllium up present doing this."

And up of the 1992 wide election, which Kinnock mislaid to John Major, she was quoted warmly praising the Labour person successful an Observer nonfiction connected the narration betwixt authorities and celebrities.

After Blair's landslide predetermination triumph successful 1997, Scales and West were portion of a radical of A-list supporters and large enactment donors that became known arsenic "luvvies for Labour".

The mates were besides progressive successful enactment events. In 2000, they were among the starring performers successful a glitzy centenary solemnisation for the Labour Party astatine the Old Vic Theatre successful London, hosted by the past premier minister.

A capableness assemblage of enactment members attended the event, which was staged to observe the 100th day of the forming of the Labour Representation Committee successful 1900.

In the 2005 wide predetermination campaign, Scales was the presenter for the party's predetermination broadcast, portion she and others, including histrion Neil Pearson, were besides progressive successful broadcasts during the 2010 campaign.

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She was portion of a radical of celebrities and politicians, including Mr Blair, who participated successful a "Burma Campaign" to boycott the state successful enactment of Aung San Suu Kyi successful her conflict for democracy.

She besides appeared with her aged person Kinnock astatine a 2006 lawsuit for the play "The Lady Of Burma" astatine the Old Vic.

Paying tribute to the mates successful West's 2001 autobiography, A Moment Towards The End Of The Play, Simon Callow wrote: "He (and his woman Prunella Scales) person tirelessly fought the country of actors; marching, signing petitions, campaigning wherever specified things were needed, though ne'er pompously oregon humourlessly."

The dynasty lives on, albeit alternatively differently. The couple's histrion lad Samuel West, who plays the irascible Siegfried Farnon successful Channel 5's All Creatures Great And Small, besides became a governmental activist, but dissimilar his parents was nary instrumentality of Mr Blair.

While astatine Oxford University, helium was a subordinate of the far-left Socialist Workers Party and aboriginal the Socialist Alliance. He was besides an outspoken professional of the New Labour authorities and the Iraq war.

Prunella Scales, however, on with Timothy West, was 1 of the Labour Party's astir stalwart and loyal showbiz supporters implicit galore years.