The lessons of Tony Benn as a Cabinet Minister: Breaking the rules and paying the price

Tony Benn’s legacy has been discussed extensively in the wake of his passing. However, little has been said about his time in government, where it could be argued that he failed to fully use the opportunities available to him. Dave Richards and Martin Smith argue that Benn may have had a radical vision, but he also demonstrated strategic naivety as a Cabinet minister in the face of bureaucratic resistance.