John Jakob Mendelson (July 1917 – 20 May 1978) was a British Labour Party politician. Mendelson was educated at the London School of Economics and became a university lecturer in political science. He was vice-president of Sheffield Trades and Labour Council. Mendelson was the Member of Parliament for Penistone, South Yorkshire from a 1959 by-election until his death, and served on the Public Accounts Committee. It was Mendelson who introduced Tony Benn to the radical history of the Diggers and the Levellers, on which Benn drew from the 1970s onwards. Mendelson's successor at the subsequent by-election was Allen McKay. References Times Guide to the House of Commons October 1974 External links 1917 births 1978 deaths Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1955–1959 UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 Alumni of the London School of Economics Politics of Penistone Jewish British politicians English Jews