Confessions of a Maverick MP

With a long career on Labourâ€s back benches, Austin Mitchell developed a ‘wormâ€s-eye perspective†that is ‘more realistic and therefore more critical†of Parliament. In this memoir the former MP for Grimsby recalls his naivety on stepping into Westminster, his willingness to challenge orthodoxies by championing causes such as devaluation and electoral reform, and anecdotes about leading politicians.

Austin Mitchell was Labour MP for Grimsby from 1977 until 2015 and is a former member of the public accounts committee. Born in Bradford, Mitchell was educated at Woodbottom Council School, Bingley Grammar School, the University of Manchester and Nuffield College, Oxford. From 1959-63 he lectured in history at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He was a journalist at Yorkshire Television, from 1969 to 1977, presenting their regional news programme Calendar. He has also worked for the BBC.