 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 per cent 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.