 Benn stood against Denis Healey , the party 's incumbent deputy leader , triggering the 1981 Deputy Leadership election , disregarding an appeal from Michael Foot to either stand for the leadership or abstain from inflaming the party 's divisions . Benn defended his decision insisting that it was " not about personalities , but about policies . " Healey retained his position by a margin of barely 1 % . The decision of several soft left MPs , including Neil Kinnock , to abstain triggered the split of the Socialist Campaign Group from the left of the Tribune Group . After Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in April 1982 , Benn argued that the dispute should be settled by the United Nations and that the British Government should not send a task force to recapture the islands . The task force was sent , and following the Falklands War , they were back in British control by mid @-@ June . In a debate in the Commons just after the Falklands were recaptured , Benn 's demand for " a full analysis of the costs in life , equipment and money in this tragic and unnecessary war " was rejected by Margaret Thatcher , who stated that " he would not enjoy the freedom of speech that he put to such excellent use unless people had been prepared to fight for it " . 
