Labour MP Wes Streeting could have ended up in prison rather than in parliament. His maternal grandfather Bill, an unsuccessful armed robber, spent time behind bars, as did his grandmother, who was a political campaigner. Brought up on a Stepney council estate, the young Streeting saw his teenage parents struggle to provide for him, and in this memoir he brings to life the humiliation that comes with choosing whether to feed the meter and heat the flat or put food on the table.

Wes Streeting knows it was the help and inspiration he received from the great characters that surrounded him, especially his paternal grandfather (also called Bill), that ultimately brought him to Cambridge University and then Parliament. This honest, uplifting, affectionate memoir is a tribute to the love and support which set him on his way out of poverty, and informs everything about Wes Streeting's current mission in politics.

‘[A] compelling story of overcoming adversity... Unexpectedly fascinating... amazingly inspiring...' The Observer

'Funny, honest and at times heart-breaking – a terrific read.' Lorraine Kelly

'For a politician to have such an extraordinary story to tell is rare. For that politician to be able to tell it with such eloquence and benevolence is rarer still. This book is a triumph.' Alan Johnson