 In 1990 he proposed a " Margaret Thatcher ( Global Repeal ) Bill " , which he said " could go through both Houses in 24 hours . It would be easy to reverse the policies and replace the personalities — the process has begun — but the rotten values that have been propagated from the platform of political power in Britain during the past 10 years will be an infection — a virulent strain of right @-@ wing capitalist thinking which it will take time to overcome . " In 1991 , with Labour still in opposition and a general election due by June 1992 , he proposed the Commonwealth of Britain Bill , abolishing the monarchy in favour of the United Kingdom becoming a " democratic , federal and secular commonwealth " , a republic with a written constitution . It was read in Parliament a number of times until his retirement at the 2001 election , but never achieved a second reading . He presented an account of his proposal in Common Sense : A New Constitution for Britain . In 1992 , Tony Benn also received a Pipe Smoker of the Year award , claiming in his acceptance speech that " pipe smoking stopped you going to war " . 
