Teenage Marxism blogger Max Edwards loses cancer battle

A 16-year-old Marxism blogger who also wrote about his cancer diagnosis has died.

Max Edwards found out last autumn that he had a tumour in his spine.

His blog, The Anonymous Revolutionary, discussed Marxism in the modern world and was turned into a book of the same name.

Max, from York, died on Saturday, five months after being told that his cancer was the most aggressive grade IV.

His parents Dan and Jenny posted a message on his blog with a picture of their son thanking his readers for their support and describing him as a "Writer, Philosopher, Thinker, Musician, Artist. The Anonymous Revolutionary".

They said: "He loved writing this blog and sharing his ideas with you.

"In the later months of his life in particular it was a great source of comfort to him.

"Thank you all for your support.

"Thank you all for making a young revolutionary very happy."

Before he died, Max had written an article for The Guardian about his illness in which he said that he being told he was going to die was "a shock" but that he was "largely over it" in a week.

He also wrote: "Religion has featured a lot in discussions since the diagnosis. I am told that many people are praying for me and I have prayed myself, though I never thought it would make a difference (I only did it on the off chance that something positive might happen - what's to lose?)."

As well writing about political topics on his blog, he also wrote frankly about his diagnosis. In one post titled Marxism, Opium and Morphine he described religion as an "effective distraction".

"It is, in the language of Marx, opium for the masses, just like the oral morphine I've been taking to deal with post-operative pain (although unlike Islam, Christianity or Judaism, I'm still baffled as to why people develop addictions to this substance - I can't say I've noticed it make more difference than paracetamol!)," he wrote.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband posted a message on Twitter on hearing the news of Max's death.

He tweeted: "It was a privilege to meet Max 2 weeks ago. A very special young man. My heart breaks for Dan, Jenny, Esme & Toby."