THE BENN INHERITANCE: THE STORY OF A RADICAL FAMILY

Tony Benn, throughout his career, has been one of the most controversial and enigmatic characters in British politics. He is considered by some to be a dangerous and destructive radical and by others the true keeper of the Labour Party's conscience; but he describes himself as 'a socialist whose political commitment owes much more to the teaching of Jesus than the writing of Marx. In this statement, he acknowledges two strong influences: independent radicalism and dissenting non-conformity. Both are string family characteristics.

This book is about Tony Benn and his family heritage. From the Rev. Julius Benn, who was murdered by a deranged son, the author traces the Benn family through a hundred years, during almost all of which there has been a representative in Parliament, to Tony Benn who, having rejected his distinguished father's peerage, became the scourge of the Labour Party's right wing. The book shows that Tony Benn's thinking is rooted firmly in the traditions and beliefs of his ancestors.