▁to ▁her ▁mother ▁by ▁Edward ▁A vel ing , ▁Karl ▁Marx ' s ▁transl ator ▁and ▁long time ▁partner ▁of ▁his ▁daughter , ▁Ele an or . ▁In ▁her ▁mem oir s , ▁Ut ley ▁describes ▁her ▁early ▁influ ences ▁as ▁" li ber al , ▁social ist ▁and ▁free - th inking , ▁strongly ▁colored ▁by ▁the ▁poetry ▁of ▁revol t ▁and ▁liberty ▁and ▁leg ends , ▁stories ▁and ▁roman ces ▁of ▁hero ism ▁and ▁advent ure ." ▁ ▁Ut ley ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁a ▁board ing ▁school ▁in ▁Switzerland , ▁after ▁which ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁her ▁native ▁England ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁B . A . ▁degree ▁followed ▁by ▁an ▁M . A . ▁degree ▁in ▁history ▁( with ▁first ▁class ▁hon ours ) ▁at ▁King ' s ▁College ▁London . ▁The ▁UK ▁General ▁St rike ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁and ▁what ▁she ▁calls ▁the ▁" bet ray al " ▁of ▁the ▁workers ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Trade ▁Union ▁Council ▁and ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁made ▁her ▁more ▁fav ou rable ▁to ▁commun ism . ▁After ▁visit ing ▁Russia ▁as ▁the ▁vice - pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁Labour ▁Federation ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁she ▁joined ▁the ▁British ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁Ut ley ▁writes ▁about ▁her ▁conversion : ▁" It ▁was ▁a ▁passion ▁for ▁the ▁em an cip ation ▁of ▁man kind , ▁not ▁the ▁blue print ▁of ▁a ▁planned ▁society ▁nor ▁any ▁myst ical ▁year ning ▁to ▁merge ▁myself ▁in