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Edwina Currie: Diaries 1987-1992
by Edwina CurrieAfter Margaret Thatcher, Edwina Currie was the second most prominent woman in British politics during the 1980s. Indeed, she was often spoken of as a potential Prime Minister. Her outspokenness and her lively, media-friendly personality won her a much higher profile than her status as a junior minister would otherwise have commanded. When she was forced to resign from the government after warning of the danger signs of salmonella infection in eggs, she was already a national figure. Revealing her four-year affair with former Prime Minister John Major, Edwina's diaries caused a media sensation. A decade on, and now with previously unpublished material, the diaries still provide a remarkable insight into politics at the top by a writer with an observant eye and a sharp sense of humour. Edwina Currie's honesty, her frankness and her courage make these unexpurgated diaries an irresistible read.
The Margaret Thatcher Book of Quotations: The Margaret Thatcher Book Of Quotations
by Iain Dale Grant TuckerMargaret Thatcher enthrals whenever she speaks. Her political career has spanned five decades and her influence on world politics is undeniable. From followers she inspires devotion; from detractors she induces unprecedented venom - but they listen all the same. Margaret Thatcher is the most quoted British political leader since Winston Churchill and in this unique collection Iain Dale and Grant Tucker have picked out her most memorable remarks. Never far from emitting a scathing rebuke she possesses a facility for the spoken word rivalled by few others. Some quotes are funny, many are inspirational, most are thoughtful - but they are all unforgettable. Alongside Margaret Thatcher's own words, the book contains many quotes from her political allies and opponents, as well as from foreign leaders who were often on the end of a good handbagging. On her resignation some said we would never see her like again. So far they have been proved right. With a talent for the perfect response, Maggie's whiplash tongue has ensured that her magnetism endures.
David Steel: Rising Hope to Elder Stateman
by David TorranceMichael Foot was speaking affectionately when in 1979 he quipped that David Steel had apparently gone from 'rising hope to elder statesman' without any intervening period whatsoever. But the remark also neatly captured a career which had seen 'the Boy David' enter the House of Commons aged only twenty-six, become leader of the Liberal Party in 1976 (at thirty-eight years old one of the youngest party leaders in British history) and then, within months of his election, lead his party into a controversial Lib-Lab Pact with James Callaghan's Labour government. Taking the lead in demanding cooperation with the new Social Democratic Party, Steel helped the Alliance poll an unprecedented share of the vote for a third party in the 1983 election. Alongside David Owen of the SDP, he fought another memorable election four years later as one of the 'two Davids' and later became the major force behind the troubled birth of the Liberal Democrat Party. Based on extensive interviews and fresh archival research, this biography - with which Steel has cooperated - charts both the 'rising hope' and 'elder statesman' phases in Steel's career, as well as his role as the first Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and his political legacy in light of the post-2010 Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
Edwina Currie: Diaries 1992-1997
by Edwina CurrieNever far from centre stage, Edwina Currie falls comfortably into that category of celebrity you simply cannot ignore. Her first published diaries explosively revealed an affair with former Prime Minister John Major. This second volume, which begins in 1992 with her refusal to serve in Major's government, is no less revelatory about her colleagues, encounters with others in the public eye and, of course, her extraordinary career. Honest, compulsive and of the moment, this collection covers her life in Parliament up to the election of Blair's Labour government, but more importantly sees Edwina's emergence as a mainstay in the public imagination, first as a bestselling author, then as a commentator, broadcaster, presenter and performer. Shot through with her trademark effervescence and sense of fun, this volume of diaries documents one of the biggest characters in British public life at her saucy, scathing best.
Stumbling Over Truth: The Inside Story and the 'Sexed Up' Dossier, Hutton and the BBC
by Kevin MarshThe 2004 report of the Hutton Inquiry created today's BBC. It cost the corporation its Chairman and Director General and seemed to many to usher in an age of self-doubt and caution. It was also the end of the most extraordinary experiment in news management Britain has ever seen - the decade of Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's spin doctor, charged with delivering what Peter Mandelson described as New Labour's mission to 'create the truth'. But Lord Hutton condemned the BBC and its journalism without hearing a single word from the man who put the 'sexed up' dossier story on the air: Today editor Kevin Marsh. Had Hutton done so, his conclusions would surely have been very different. Now outside the BBC, Marsh can tell for the first time the inside story of Andrew Gilligan's notorious 6.07 broadcast on the Today programme. He explains how he was certain the story of the 'sexed up' dossier was true, but also how Gilligan's 'flawed reporting' fatally damaged the BBC's case. And he tells of his growing disillusionment with the British media's aptitude and appetite for holding power to account - or even telling the truth. Stumbling Over Truth is an important book for anyone who wants to understand the toe-to-toe confrontations between Tony Blair's government and the BBC, and the fight to resist unremitting government attempts to manipulate the media.
Is That Mic Off?: More Things Politicians Wish They Hadn't Said
by Phil MasonIf you want to hear something stupid, just listen to the nearest politician. From the authors of Read My Lips and Mission Accomplished!, this completely new collection of politicians' gaffes, slips and brain freezes brings the verbal misstep into the present era of coalition government in Britain, the 2012 presidential election campaign in America and the global phenomenon of Wikileaks. Here is a treasure trove of the finest worst utterings from the men and women whose main skill is meant to be their power of communication. From Bush, Obama and Palin to Brown, Cameron, Clegg and co., the mad, the bad, the stupid and the shameless are all in attendance -watch them shoot from the lip and hit themselves in the foot. If, as they always say, politicians want to be judged by their words, let them be these.
The 1,000 Wisest Things Ever Said: Wisdom of the Nobel Prize Winners
by David PrattSince 1901 the Nobel Prize has been the hallmark of genius, but Nobel laureates tend to be more than merely brilliant - their idealism, courage and concern for humanity have also made them sources of inspiration and insight. The 1,000 Wisest Things Ever Said is a fascinating collection of quotes from the winners of this most prestigious award. It also includes short biographical sketches of each of the laureates quoted and a brief history of the Nobel Prize. Astute, witty and poignant by turns, these insightful nuggets will inspire and charm, and are a delightful, thought-provoking look at the world through the eyes of some of its wisest men and women.
The Biteback Dictionary of Humorous Political Quotations (Biteback Dictionaries Of Humorous Quotations Ser.)
by Fred Metcalf"Politics is no laughing matter - unless you've got Fred Metcalf's Dictionary of Humorous Political Quotations. From the wit that made Boris a contender to the best of George W. Bush, this book will have you in stitches. Bankers to bin Laden, bumper stickers to Biden, and even a few topics that don't begin with B, Metcalf has them all covered. Churchill's gravitas meets Jon Stewart's modern parody - if you have a political (or a funny) bone in your body, you need this book. I loved it!" Louise Mensch. With this brilliant anthology of mieux mots used in the theatre of politics over the centuries, Fred Metcalf has conjured an indispensable tool for both the seasoned public speaker and the armchair quotation-collector alike. Combining politics with a liberal dose of sex, drugs and Frank Zappa, Metcalf has produced a hearty panoply of memorable political rhetoric to cover any occasion - a remedy for those improvising amid impassioned response as well as those polishing their argument with the choicest of truisms.
Eminent Parliamentarians: The Speaker's Lectures
by Philip NortonTo celebrate the centenary of the 1911 Parliament Act, John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, instigated a series of public lectures in which current parliamentarians assessed the careers and characters of parliamentary giants. The result was a sequence of fascinating appraisals covering a distinguished but eclectic array of politicians who made a name for themselves not only in the House of Commons but also throughout the country. The subjects of the lectures came from diverse backgrounds, advocated very different political philosophies and, indeed, some make surprising bedfellows. But they all had one thing in common: driven by a set of particular beliefs, they were prepared to do whatever was necessary in pursuit of their goals. From Nicholas Soames's warm, familial tribute to his grandfather Winston Churchill to Neil Kinnock's account of an affectionate - though sometimes fraught - relationship with Michael Foot, the roll-call of both lecturers and subjects is outstanding. With his subject sitting in the audience, Tristram Hunt delivers the lecture on Tony Benn; Shirley Williams looks at the life of Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in Parliament; Philip Norton and Peter Tapsell tackle the towering figures of Enoch Powell and F. E. Smith; as an authority on his subject, Kenneth Morgan discusses David Lloyd George, while fellow historian Gordon Marsden speaks on Aneurin Bevan; Douglas Hurd reflects on the life of Iain Macleod; and Andrew Adonis and John Whittingdale both provide an insider's insight into the parliamentary lives of Roy Jenkins and Margaret Thatcher. With a foreword by John Bercow and an introduction by Philip Norton, this is an impressive collection of lectures delivered by expert speakers on the most eminent of parliamentarians.
George Osborne: The Austerity Chancellor
by Janan Ganesh"Ganesh's dissection of what has driven the intellectual and political revival of the Tories is forensic and incisive."- Anne McElvoy, Mail on Sunday"A lively account of the Chancellor's career ... contains a great deal of fascinating new information."- Peter Oborne, Daily Telegraph George Osborne is the most controversial Chancellor of the Exchequer since the Second World War. His austere policies have incited international debate, and his political influence over the government provokes resentment. He is also a survivor with an eye on the premiership. Having authored the most hated Budget of recent times, he now presides over a recovering economy.This is the story of Osborne's breathless ascent to power: a journey driven by luck, guile, resilience, daring and ferocious ambition. As a back-room adviser, MP and Cabinet member, he has enjoyed a starring role or front-row seat at all the Tory dramas since the fall of Thatcher and the dog days of the Major government, from the party's long years in opposition to its eventual and incomplete resurrection. Yet rarely have voters known so little about a politician with such sway over their lives and livelihoods.Fully updated to include Osborne's role in the economic recovery, his appointment of Mark Carney as Governor of the Bank of England, and his prospects as a future Prime Minister, this biography makes sense of a man who is both a personal enigma and a political machine. Based on exhaustive research and access to the innermost parts of the government, it tells the story of George Osborne and the era he has helped to shape.
The End of Politcs and the Birth of iDemocracy: And The Birth Of Democracy
by Douglas CarswellThe west is in crisis Governments have grown too big, living beyond their means - and ours. The true costs of extra officialdom have been concealed. Parasitical politicians have been hopeless at holding to account the elites who now preside over us. As a result, Western nations are mired in debt and chronically misgoverned. Should we despair? Actually, no. Precisely because the West's Big Government model is bust, things are going to have to change. The West is on the cusp of a dramatic transformation driven by the failure of her elites, technology and maths. At the precise moment Big Government becomes unaffordable, the internet revolution makes it possible to do without it. Be optimistic. We are going to be able to manage without government - and thrive. The old political and economic order is about to give way to something vastly better.
A Spy Like No Other: The Cuban Missile Crisis, the KGB and the Kennedy Assassination
by Robert HolmesThe arms race between the Soviet Union and the USA was the most dangerous confrontation in the history of the world. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's decision to place nuclear missiles in Cuba, and US President John F. Kennedy's willingness to call his bluff, brought the Soviet Union and the West to the edge of a cataclysmic nuclear war. Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Robert Holmes, a British diplomat in Moscow during the early 1960s, provides an answer to one of the greatest mysteries of the Cold War. Kennedy's confidence in his brinkmanship hung on the evidence provided by Oleg Penkovsky, the MI6/CIA agent inside Soviet military intelligence. While working on A Spy Like No Other, Holmes set out to tell Penkovsky's story. But, in doing so, he stumbled upon an astonishing chain of intrigue, betrayal and revenge that suggested a group of maverick Soviet intelligence officers had plotted the crime of the century. When Penkovsky's treachery was discovered, in the middle of the Missile Crisis, he was executed and his boss, General Ivan Serov (the head of Soviet military intelligence and a former head of the KGB), was subsequently dismissed. The Soviet propaganda machine then thoroughly discredited Serov and consigned him to obscurity. In this extraordinary new study, Holmes suggests Serov's anger at the West's 'victory' in Cuba and his resentment at the treachery of his protégé and his own downfall turned into an obsessive determination to gain revenge - and reveals the opportunity he had to do so by working with KGB rogue officers to enlist a young American loner, Lee Harvey Oswald, to assassinate the President.
Mullahs Without Mercy: Human Rights and Nuclear Weapons
by Geoffrey RobertsonIran is just years away from building an atomic bomb. Should it succeed, a weapon of monstrous destructive capability will be in the hands of mullahs who should be put on trial for international crimes: massacring political prisoners, assassinating dissidents at home and abroad, and torturing and killing protestors - as Geoffrey Robertson demonstrates in this groundbreaking study. In Mullahs Without Mercy, Robertson explores the chilling consequences of allowing Iran, North Korea and other countries to develop nuclear weapons. With unquestioned legal authority and learning, and in vivid style, Robertson proposes a radical solution: making the production of nuclear weapons an international crime. Indeed he argues that acquiring nukes is already contrary to an international law of human rights: the bomb is an illegal weapon of terror, and the politicians, prelates and scientists who build it are guilty of crimes against humanity. The development of this doctrine will have profound implications for Britain - and for the world.
Au Revoir, Europe: What if Britain left the EU?
by David CharterForty years ago, Britain joined the club of European nations. The idea was to guarantee peace and prosperity on the continent through 'ever closer union' following centuries of terrible wars. But after four decades of membership, costing the UK more than ?200 billion, public disenchantment with the European Union has never been so great. In Au Revoir, Europe David Charter, Europe Correspondent for The Times, looks at what went wrong - and what happens next. It charts Britain's increasing detachment from the European project amid a barrage of bureaucracy, mindboggling expenditure and concern at sharing sovereignty for goals that were never truly embraced. From trade to transport, fishing to finance, investment to immigration, the decision that Britain takes on its future relationship with Brussels will touch many parts of everyday life. In presenting the unvarnished truth of what it would really mean for Britain to say goodbye, this book is a unique contribution to the European debate and essential reading for all.
The Blogfather: The Best of Iain Dale's Diary
by Iain Dale"Iain Dale's Diary caught the beginning of the great blog wave and rode it until Twitter became the dominant form of digital communication. Dale was key in transforming British political comment - melding political convictions, personal views, gossip and emotional honesty. His diary of the Westminster Village quickly built up hundreds of thousands of readers and became a must for those on the inside and those on the outside as well. Dale had something for everyone and not just political geeks: chance encounters, domestic dramas, the travails of supporting West Ham, and even the joys of walking the dog. We miss it. Read all about it in The Blogfather, an offer you shouldn't refuse." - Adam Boulton
Giants: The Dwarfs of Auschwitz
by Eilat NegevDuring the 1930s and 40s the Lilliput Troupe, a beloved and successful family of singers and actors, dazzled with their vaudeville programme and unique performances. The only all-dwarf show of the time, their small stature earned them fame - and, ironically, ultimately saved their lives. As Hitler's war descended, the Ovitz family - seven of whom were dwarfs - was plunged into the horrors of the darkest moments in modern history. Descending from the cattle train into the death camp of Auschwitz, they were separated from other Jewish victims on the orders of one Dr Joseph Mengele, the 'Angel of Death'. Obsessed with eugenics, Dr Mengele carried out a series of loathsome experiments on the family and developed a disturbing fondness for his human lab-rats, so much so that when the Russian army liberated Auschwitz, all members of the family - the youngest, a baby boy just eighteen months old; the oldest, a 58-year-old woman - were still alive. Based on exhaustive research and interviews with Perla Ovitz, the troupe's last-surviving member, and scores of Auschwitz survivors, authors Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev deftly describe the moving and inspirational story of this remarkable family and their indomitable will to survive.
Little Cyclone: The Girl who Started the Comet Line (Dialogue Espionage Classics Ser.)
by Airey NeaveOn a hot afternoon in August 1941, a 24-year-old Belgian woman walks into the British consulate in Bilbao, neutral Spain, and demands to see the consul. She presents him with a British soldier she has smuggled all the way from Brussels, through occupied France and over the Pyrenees. It is a journey she will make countless times thereafter, at unthinkable danger to her own life. Her name is Andree de Jongh, though she will come to be known as the 'Little Cyclone' in deference to her extraordinary courage and tenacity. And she is an inspiration. From nursing wounded Allied servicemen, de Jongh will go on to establish the most famous escape line of the Second World War, one that will save the lives of more than 800 airmen and soldiers stranded behind enemy lines. The risks, however, will be enormous. The cost, unspeakably tragic. Her story is shot through atmospherically with the constant terror of discovery and interception - of late night knocks at the door, of disastrous moonlit river crossings, Gestapo infiltrators, firing squads and concentration camps. It is also a classic true story of fear overcome by giddying bravery. Originally published in the years after the war, Little Cyclone is a mesmerising tale of the best of humanity in the most unforgiving circumstances: a remarkable and inspiring account to rival the most dramatic of thrillers.
Burning Our Money: How Government wastes our cash and what we can do about it
by Mike DenhamBritain is in the midst of a fierce battle over government spending. With debts mounting rapidly, the ?700 billion annual bill is no longer sustainable. But cuts face a wall of opposition, with dire warnings that they will ravage our society: hospital waiting lists will grow, schools will close and the poor will tumble into a new Dickensian abyss. Yet much of what the government currently spends is wasted, and public sector performance is often woeful. In Burning Our Money, Mike Denham casts a critical eye over the services we receive for our hard-earned cash, and finds them radically - often shockingly - wanting. For all the media insistence that the NHS is 'the envy of the world', it stacks up poorly against European healthcare systems. For all our apparently soaring exam grades, our children significantly underperform their future competitors in China, Korea and elsewhere. And for all our hand-wringing about abolishing poverty, our huge welfare system actually damages many of the poor it's supposed to help. Drawing on extensive research and up-to-the-minute reporting, Burning Our Money comprehensively debunks the myth that more public spending means better public services, and shows how we can - and must - get more for less.
The Green Book: New directions for Liberals in government
by Duncan Brack Paul Burall Neil Stockley Mike TuffreyLeading Liberal Democrats and policy experts re-examine their political approach and propose a radical new direction for the party, setting the agenda for the next election and beyond. The Green Book cogently argues that a low-carbon economy and environmental investments are the best way to escape from sluggish growth, create new jobs and share prosperity. It is a clarion call for Liberal Democrats to treat the environmental crisis as a core challenge of economic policy, not a discrete problem. Policies that protect and enhance the natural world - on which our economy and society ultimately depend for our health, well-being and prosperity - should be the driving force behind the party's programme. Furthermore, green policies can provide a vital, clear and popular distinction between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives at the next election. The Green Book offers a challenge to current Liberal Democrat thinking - and stimulating reading to anyone who cares about the environment and the future of the British economy.
The Real Iron Lady: Working with Margaret Thatcher
by Gillian ShephardThere are many myths about Margaret Thatcher's extraordinary personality and political career. But what was it really like to work with her? In The Real Iron Lady: Working with Margaret Thatcher, Gillian Shephard speaks to an eclectic and distinguished range of Mrs T.'s former colleagues; all offer a unique insight into what the Iron Lady was really like at close quarters. Among them are John Major, Geoffrey Howe, Douglas Hurd and other Cabinet colleagues, alongside an ambassador and senior civil servants. In addition, prominent Conservative Party members, distinguished journalists and a leading trade unionist add their views, as well as MPs, political advisers and Downing Street staff. A French perspective is even provided by Hubert Védrine, foreign minister to erstwhile President François Mitterrand. Gillian Shephard has laced this miscellany of recollections of the Iron Lady with her own sparkling wit and acerbic comments - resulting in a fascinating close-up portrait of Britain's first woman Prime Minister. Most importantly, it is a portrait painted by the people who were with her throughout the dramas of her political career: the Falklands conflict, the miners' strike, the Brighton Bomb outrage and, eventually, her downfall. The book, with its wealth of previously unpublished material, portrays Margaret Thatcher as a woman of contrasts: courageous, kind, ferocious, feminine - and so far, unsurpassed.
A Journey with Margaret Thatcher: Foreign Policy Under the Iron Lady
by Robin RenwickIn a remarkably candid new book, former high-ranking diplomat Robin Renwick provides a fascinating insight into Margaret Thatcher's performances on the world stage. He examines her successes, including the defeat of aggression in the Falklands, her contribution to the ending of the Cold War and her role in the Anglo-Irish agreement; her special relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev and what the Americans felt to be the excessive influence she exerted over Ronald Reagan, and attitudes towards F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela; and what she herself acknowledged as her spectacular failure in resisting German reunification. He describes at first hand her often turbulent relationships with other European leaders and her arguments with Cabinet colleagues about European monetary union (in which regard, he contends, her arguments have stood the test of time and are highly relevant to the crisis in the eurozone today). Finally, he tells of her bravura performance in the run-up to the Gulf War, her calls for intervention in Bosnia and the difficulties she created for her successor. While her faults were on the same scale as her virtues, Margaret Thatcher succeeded in her mission to restore Britain's standing and influence, in the process becoming a cult figure in many other parts of the world. Including material from the recently released War Cabinet files on the Falklands conflict, this book is an important exploration of an outstanding world leader.
Between the Crashes: Reflections and insights on UK politics and global economics in the aftermath of the financial crisis
by Mark FieldCity of London MP Mark Field had a ringside seat in 2008 as the global financial system was sucked into a spiral of crisis. With one foot in the Westminster Village and the other in his central London constituency, Field had access to a unique mix of politicians, financiers and business people in the feverish months and years that followed. A collection of his short contemporary essays and speeches from 2007 to 2012, Between the Crashes provides a timeline of the financial crisis, its aftermath and the ensuing travails of the eurozone as well as an account of the challenges facing the Brown and coalition governments. In doing so, Between the Crashes pulls together some of the overarching themes set to define the early part of the twenty-first century - the shift of power eastwards, generational division, disillusionment with capitalism and the political class and, most of all, the impact of colossal Western debt. In providing robust analysis of the UK's problems, Mark Field puts forward some practical solutions for the future, challenging the political class at a time of stagnant growth in the British economy. And as its title suggests, Between the Crashes finally asks ... is there more to come?
Just a Simple Belfast Boy
by Brian MawhinneyThis simple Belfast boy was to find himself at the centre of politics during some of the most tumultuous events of recent British history - the peace process in Ireland, Britain in Europe, Thatcher versus Major. This momentous autobiography is full of the acerbic wit and outspoken opinion that characterises Brian Mawhinney - the man and the politician. This long-awaited memoir is a major work of enduring historical significance, packed with untold stories.
Progressive Capitalism: How to achieve economic growth, liberty and social justice
by David SainsburyThe neo-liberalism that dominated economic thinking since the advent of Thatcher and Reagan is now seen to have serious flaws. Progressive Capitalism seeks to replace it with a new Progressive political economy, based on an analysis of why the growth rates of countries differ, and what firms have to do to achieve competitive advantage in today's global economy. The cornerstone of the political economy of Progressive Capitalism is a belief in capitalism. But it also incorporates the three defining beliefs of Progressive thinking. These are the crucial role of institutions, the need for the state to be involved in their design, and the use of social justice defined as fairness as an important measure of a country's economic performance. Progressive Capitalism shows how this new Progressive political economy can be used by politicians and policy-makers to produce a programme of economic reform for a country. It does this by analysing and proposing reforms for the UK's equity markets, its system of corporate governance, its national system of innovation and its education and training system. Finally, Progressive Capitalism describes the role the state should play in the economy - an enabling one, rather than the command-and-control role of traditional socialism or the minimalist role of neo-liberalism.
Crime: How to Solve it - And Why So Much of What We're Told is Wrong
by Nick RossIn a whirlwind demolition of dozens of misconceptions about crime, Nick Ross proposes what is arguably the most radical re-think of crime policy since the dawn of policing. Setting conventional thinking on its head, Crime challenges everything we take for granted, showing why the criminal justice system has little effect on crime rates, how policing has been hijacked to serve the needs of lawyers, and how 'facts' about crime are continually manipulated to serve the needs of politicians and the media. Crime is the result of twenty years' experience working with victims and police, and ten years' research to find out what makes crime rates ebb and flow. This is a major work that explodes fallacies and entreats us to be more sceptical. Crime will delight those who come to it with an open mind and infuriate ideologues from the left, right and centre.