SIR – The term ‘Champagne Socialist’ is often heard, but to me the epitome of that genre must be the late Anthony Wedgwood Benn.

This point of view confirmed as details of his will emerge, which like every other is in the public domain once probate is granted.

Of the millions left, not one penny for the Labour Party or left-leaning charitable institutions whose objects Mr Benn appeared to champion in his lifetime.

The supreme irony though must be his obvious tax avoidance measures used to reduce Inheritance Tax, which although perfectly legal and respectable, make nonsense of Tony Benn’s point of view in the 1980s when Labour campaigned for taxation of the rich including anti-avoidance to redistribute wealth to the poor! Do as we say but not as we do?

Many workers, myself included, wonder what the Labour Party is all about these days, with lots of other similar ‘toffs’ on the Opposition Front Bench who never did a days work in their lives, which only encourages them to vote for others, eg, UKIP, etc, although never the Tories, or not to vote at all.

D S Boyes, Upper Rodley Lane, Leeds