Editing Benjamin Zephaniah (section)

===Political views===
Zephaniah self-identified as an [[anarchist]];<ref>{{cite news |last=Zephaniah |first=Benjamin |date=June 2019 |title=Why I Am an Anarchist |url=http://dogsection.org/why-i-am-an-anarchist/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621013239/http://dogsection.org/why-i-am-an-anarchist/ |archive-date=21 June 2019 |website=[[Dog Section Press]]}}</ref> observing in a 2022 interview: "...there are places that live without government and live peacefully and happily. A lack of power means people of course aren't fighting over it and the main objective of society is to look after each other."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/benjamin-zephaniah-i-can-make-people-think-and-change-their-minds/|title=Benjamin Zephaniah: 'I can make people think and change their minds'|website=[[Palatinate (newspaper)|Palatinate]]|first=Arjun|last=Seth|date=27 October 2022|access-date=17 December 2023}}</ref> He appeared in literature to support changing the [[British elections|British electoral system]] from [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] to [[Instant-runoff voting|alternative vote]] for electing [[members of parliament]] to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] in the [[2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum|Alternative Vote referendum]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12950712 | title= Benjamin Zephaniah 'airbrushed from Yes to AV leaflets' | work= BBC News | date= 3 April 2011 | access-date= 20 June 2018 | archive-date= 24 November 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181124222108/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12950712 | url-status= live }}</ref> In a 2017 interview, commenting on the ongoing [[Brexit negotiations]], Zephaniah stated: "For left-wing reasons, I think we should leave the [[European Union|EU]] but the way that we're leaving is completely wrong."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2017/12/benjamin-zephaniah-qa-my-first-racist-attack-was-brick-back-head |title=Benjamin Zephaniah Q&A: 'My first racist attack was a brick in the back of the head' |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=4 December 2017 |website=[[New Statesman]] |access-date=9 December 2017 |archive-date=10 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510164205/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2017/12/benjamin-zephaniah-qa-my-first-racist-attack-was-brick-back-head |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, he signed a letter endorsing the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] under [[Jeremy Corbyn]]'s leadership in the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]]. The letter stated: "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few."<ref name="theguardian1">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/vote-for-hope-and-a-decent-future|title=Letters {{!}} Vote for hope and a decent future|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 December 2019|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203234134/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/vote-for-hope-and-a-decent-future|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="theguardian2">{{cite news|last=Proctor|first=Kate|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/coogan-klein-lead-cultural-figures-backing-corbyn-labour|title=Coogan and Klein lead cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 December 2019|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=11 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911180550/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/coogan-klein-lead-cultural-figures-backing-corbyn-labour|url-status=live}}</ref>