 Benn stood for election as Party Leader in 1988 , against Neil Kinnock , following Labour 's third successive defeat in the 1987 general election , losing by a substantial margin , and received only about 11 % of the vote . In May 1989 he made an extended appearance on Channel 4 's late @-@ night discussion programme After Dark , alongside among others Lord Dacre and Miles Copeland . During the Gulf War , Benn visited Baghdad in order to try and persuade Saddam Hussein to release the hostages who had been captured . 
