Tony Benn and England's Radical Tradition

Tony Benn’s death at the age of 88 was announced this morning. Others can pay tribute or cast doubt on the achievements of a long and contentious political career. I want to consider his place in England’s radical tradition and his understanding of it. Benn engaged deeply with the past – he contributed to History Today and was a fixture of the commemorations held since 1975 at the Cotswold town of Burford, the site of Cromwell’s ruthless assault on the Leveller movement, which sought universal male suffrage, executing ringleaders Cornet Thompson, Corporal Perkins and Private Church on May 17th, 1649.