About the Book

"Once called the "most dangerous man in Britain," Tony Benn, Labour MP for over fifty years, was the most distinguished British socialist politician of his era. This centenary anthology of Tony Benn's speeches, writings and interviews is a timely reminder of his political potency and the urgency of his agenda across a wide set of issues: the consequences of empire, the need to embrace industrial change, reform of the state machine and the management of politics"--

Book Synopsis

TONY BENN: FIREBRAND? NATIONAL TREASURE? A SOCIALIST FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Once dubbed the 'most dangerous man in Britain', Tony Benn, Labour MP for over fifty years, was the most distinguished socialist politician of his era. A char­ismatic orator, a lifelong campaigner for peace, and a charming disruptor of the mainstream, Benn became a national treasure in his retirement, a status some­what at variance with his firebrand politics. This collection of his key writings contains arguments on constitutional reform, the economy and foreign affairs - popular and influential policy positions which became known as 'Bennism' and set the template for democratic socialism in the 2020s.

The introduction, written by his daughter, the writer Melissa Benn, offers a per­sonal portrait of a man whose politics informed his every action. Also included is a previously unpublished interview with Tony Benn conducted towards the end of his life.

Review Quotes

"One of the most mesmerising and divisive figures in the mainstream of postwar British politics. An establishment insider who became a rebellious leftwing outsider, a cabinet minister turned street protester and reviled prophet of capitalism's demise, he nonetheless managed in old age to become something of a national treasure"
--Michael White, Guardian

"An irreplaceable giant of the labour movement and a courageous fighter for socialism and peace"
--Owen Jones, author of This Land

"He achieved the sort of popular acclaim most politicians can only dream of - simply by sticking to his principles"
--Mark Steel, comedian

"A true political warrior who fought for what he believed - right up to the very end"
--John Major, former UK prime minister

"Eye-opening"
--The Journalist

"If you have time for only one book on Benn, I recommend this work."
--Francis Beckett, Literary Review

"I would recommend this book as essential reading for every socialist activist inside and outside the Labour Party and everyone interested in building a fairer, better world of peace and justice"
--Richard Burgon, Tribune

About the Author

Tony Benn (1925 - 2014) was a radical statesman, British Labour Party politician and political activist. He later served as President of the Stop the War Coalition from 2001 to 2014.

Melissa Benn is a journalist, novelist and campaigner. She has written for the Guardian, the New Statesman, Cosmopolitan and the London Review of Books, among many others. Her writing on education includes Life Lessons.