Editing Pete Townshend (section)

=== Political views ===
In 1998, Townshend was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the [[UK Labour Party]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/161057.stm |title='Luvvies' for Labour |work=BBC News |date=30 August 1998 |access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref> He refused to let [[Michael Moore]] use "[[Won't Get Fooled Again]]" in ''[[Fahrenheit 9/11]]'' (2004), saying that he watched ''[[Bowling for Columbine]]'' (2002) and was not convinced.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rashbaum |first=Alyssa |date=13 July 2004 |title=Pete Townshend Says Don't Be 'Fooled' By Michael Moore |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/yw68t8/pete-townshend-says-dont-be-fooled-by-michael-moore |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617203943/https://www.mtv.com/news/yw68t8/pete-townshend-says-dont-be-fooled-by-michael-moore |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 June 2023 |publisher=MTV |access-date=8 December 2012}}</ref> In 1961 while in art school, Townshend joined the [[Young Communist League (UK)|Young Communist League]] and was a prominent figure in their 1966 "Trend" recruitment campaign. In a 1974 ''[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]]'' interview he stated that he recognised in practice he was a [[capitalist]] who was rewarded well for his work, but that his ideals were [[communist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewho.net/articles/penthouse_1974.htm |title=The Hypertext Who › Article Archive › Penthouse Interview (1974) |website=Thewho.net |access-date=4 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714200124/http://www.thewho.net/articles/penthouse_1974.htm |archive-date=14 July 2014 }}</ref>

In a widely reported 2012 interview with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], Townshend described himself jokingly as being "a bit of a [[neocon]]" stating that, "I like the idea of America as the world's police force. Then we don't have to do it. You guys sort it out."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pete-townshend-neocon-neoconservative-the-who-admits-r_n_2244317|title=The Who Guitarist Says He Is A Neoconservative|first=Cavan|last=Sieczkowski|date=5 December 2012|website=[[HuffPost]]|access-date=12 May 2019}}</ref>

In a 2019 interview with ''[[The Times]]'', Townshend revealed he was in favour of the United Kingdom remaining in the [[European Union]], stating, "I'm a [[Britain Stronger in Europe|Remainer]], he [Roger Daltrey] is a [[Vote Leave|Brexiteer]]. I believe in God, he doesn't."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/the-who-new-album-pete-townshend-roger-daltrey-interview-6wh7gzltz|title=The Who on a new album, ageing and artistic differences|first=Will|last=Hodgkinson|website=[[The Times]]}}</ref>