Confessions of a Political Maverick

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785904027
Total Pages : 331 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Confessions of a Political Maverick by : Austin Mitchell

Download or read book Confessions of a Political Maverick written by Austin Mitchell and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2018-07-10 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shortlisted for the Political Books Awards 'Best Parliamentary Memoir 2018' Austin Mitchell is a political maverick. For thirty-eight years he was a fly in the parliamentary ointment, a recurring itch on the body politic. A maverick may annoy the whips, threaten party discipline and challenge the solemnities of Parliament. Troublemakers they may well be, but the Commons would certainly be a duller place without them. However Mitchell's dissidence wasn't all bitterness without volume control. Rattling the cage, swimming against the tide, pursuing honourable causes and, of course, fighting for his constituency, Grimsby, proved a rewarding career in itself. Confessions of a Political Maverick succeeds in uncovering the realities behind the pretentious parliamentary facade of tradition and the stuffy complacency of Britain's failing political class. Dissenting from the peculiar and highly particular conformity of career politicians dedicated to climbing the greasy pole can be a lonely role, but it can also be fun. It certainly was for Austin Mitchell.

Snakes and Ladders

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785907018
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Snakes and Ladders by : Andrea Leadsom

Download or read book Snakes and Ladders written by Andrea Leadsom and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2022-07-12 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Gasp-inducing" – Laura Kuenssberg "Jaw-dropping" – The House "A must-read" – Iain Dale "Fascinating" – Iain Duncan Smith *** In the high-stakes world of politics, there are superb highs and terrible lows – and never more so than in the period since 2010. Few are better placed to give an insider's view of the turmoil than the Rt Hon. Dame Andrea Leadsom MP. From taking to the stage at Wembley as a key figure in the campaign to leave the European Union, through two leadership bids, Cabinet intrigue and squaring off against an increasingly erratic Speaker, Andrea's very personal account tracks the ups and downs of a life in politics and particularly the challenges for female MPs. In this updated edition, which sheds new light on the fraught leadership campaigns of 2022, Andrea argues that political careers don't always – as is so often claimed – end in failure, and explains how, like a game of snakes and ladders, politics is often about getting yourself into the right place at the right time.

The Wintertons Unmuzzled

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785902075
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis The Wintertons Unmuzzled by : Sarah Winterton

Download or read book The Wintertons Unmuzzled written by Sarah Winterton and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2017-01-24 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With two MPs for parents, Sarah Winterton was one of the proudest women in the country. She felt as though her family was at the centre of events, and her parents, Nicholas and Ann Winterton - respective Members for Macclesfield and Congleton - were truly making a difference at the heart of British politics. But when the Wintertons became caught up in the parliamentary expenses scandal in 2009, Sarah was forced to question some of her longest-held assumptions about politics, family and the media. Was the life of a backbench MP worth the candle? Why slog away for hours on behalf of your constituents, if your only reward was to be vilified by Fleet Street? In this affectionate, defiant memoir, Sarah Winterton celebrates a pair of MPs renowned for their bloody-minded independence, who remain the longest-serving couple in the history of the House of Commons. She warmly and unashamedly defends not just her outspoken parents, but an entire political class in a time of great upheaval. With her rare perspective on 21st-century British politics, Sarah reveals a lost political world through insightful anecdotes, and asks challenging questions about the character of modern MPs and the functioning of Britain's parliamentary democracy.

Red Knight

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785906976
Total Pages : 261 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Red Knight by : Michael Ashcroft

Download or read book Red Knight written by Michael Ashcroft and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-19 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Book of the Day – The Guardian "Well-researched ... well-written ... even-handed ... balanced." – Baroness Hoey, The Critic "Red Knight is well written and researched and, I think, pretty fair." – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times "Ashcroft has done his research and he does tell us important things about Starmer." – The Independent "Well-researched, fair and objective ... Lord Ashcroft's book is a great aid to answering questions [about Starmer] and posing a few more." – TCW "Comprehensive." – The Tablet "Surprisingly sympathetic." – MoneyWeek *** Sir Keir Starmer has played many parts during his life and career. He went from schoolboy socialist to radical lawyer before surprising many by joining the establishment, becoming Director of Public Prosecutions, accepting a knighthood and then, in 2015, standing successfully for Parliament. At Westminster, he was swiftly elevated to the shadow Cabinet, and in April 2020 he became the leader of the Labour Party. Michael Ashcroft's new book goes in search of the man who wants to be Prime Minister and reveals previously unknown details about him which help to explain what makes him tick. Starmer was the architect of Labour's second-referendum Brexit policy, which was considered a major factor in its worst electoral defeat for nearly a century. Is he the man to bring back Labour's lost voters? Is he the voice of competence and moderation who can put his party back on the political map? Or is he just a member of the metropolitan elite who is prepared to say and do whatever it takes to win favour? This meticulous examination of his life offers voters the chance to answer these vital questions.

A True Statesman

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785908014
Total Pages : 232 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis A True Statesman by : Robin Renwick

Download or read book A True Statesman written by Robin Renwick and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2023-01-24 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "What we have been missing" – Henry Kissinger *** 'If the United States does not lead, there will be no leadership. If the US instead turns inward, there will be a price to be paid later.' – George H. W. Bush Marking thirty years since the end of George H. W. Bush's presidency, Robin Renwick paints a warm, affectionate portrait of a President who sought to unify rather than divide his country, and whose staunch belief in diplomacy strengthened cooperation around the world. A True Statesman explores Bush's core belief in the United States as the 'indispensable nation' in helping to deal with world crises, charting his efforts to end the Cold War, secure the reunification of Germany and drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. Extending beyond Bush's time in office, it also reflects on US foreign policy over the past three decades, examining the consequences of his successors' differing approaches to America's role on the world stage. Incisively written by a former British Ambassador to Washington, this insider account offers fresh insights into both the 41st President and America's foreign policy from Iran–Contra to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

First Lady

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785907514
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis First Lady by : Michael Aschroft

Download or read book First Lady written by Michael Aschroft and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2022-03-18 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book offers an account of where Carrie came from, what she wants, what makes her tick and, most important, the influence she has on our PM. There are too many sources for [it] to be dismissed as a hatchet job ... There is plenty in this volume that deserves to be taken seriously." – James Hanning, UnHerd "Well researched and insightful ... By writing First Lady, Michael Ashcroft has done us a favour ... This book tells us a lot about the way Britain under Boris Johnson is being run." – Kathy Gyngell, The Conservative Woman "[The] explosive book that has set Westminster alight." – Mail on Sunday Carrie Johnson is not only the consort of the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson; she is also considered by some to be the second most powerful unelected woman in Britain after the Queen. Since she moved into Downing Street in July 2019, questions have been raised about her perceived influence, her apparent desire to control events, and the number of her associates who have been appointed to positions of standing in the government machine. So, are these concerns justified? In this carefully researched unauthorised biography, Michael Ashcroft charts the extraordinary ascent of Mrs Johnson, speaking to multiple sources who have been close to her and to Boris Johnson in recent years to produce a fascinating portrait of a woman who is still under the age of thirty-five. The book scrutinises Mrs Johnson's colourful family, her attempt to become a professional actress, and her early decision to work in politics. Long before she moved into No. 10, Mrs Johnson made a name for herself as a Conservative Party press aide before becoming a special adviser to two Cabinet ministers and eventually director of communications at Conservative campaign headquarters. Aside from politics, she is also the mother of two young children and campaigns in the fields of the environment and animal welfare. Carrie Johnson is without doubt a very modern prime ministerial spouse. This examination of her career and life offers the electorate the chance to assess exactly what role she plays in Boris Johnson's unpredictable administration and why that matters.

The Slow Downfall of Margaret Thatcher

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785904957
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis The Slow Downfall of Margaret Thatcher by : Bernard Ingham

Download or read book The Slow Downfall of Margaret Thatcher written by Bernard Ingham and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Branded 'the rough-spoken Yorkshire Rasputin', Bernard Ingham served as Margaret Thatcher's press secretary for virtually all of her eleven-year premiership, adroitly steering the government's relationship with the media – and the Prime Minister's relationship with the nation. Known for his unswerving loyalty, he robustly defended Thatcher from her critics in both the press and the political jungle, earning him friends and foes in equal measure, as she went on to win three consecutive elections. Thatcher's last days in power, however, saw some of the most remarkable events in British political history, and Ingham was, for once, helpless to turn the tide. These eagerly anticipated diaries cover two turbulent years from January 1989 to December 1990 – a period Ingham terms 'the long, slow assassination' – detailing the succession of crises that led to the Prime Minister's resignation in November 1990, and the critical roles played by the big political beasts of the time. With his trademark gruff candour and wry wit, Ingham's spirited diaries shed new light on Thatcher's final months in No. 10, charting the dramatic downfall of one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century.

Going for Broke

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785906380
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Going for Broke by : Michael Ashcroft

Download or read book Going for Broke written by Michael Ashcroft and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-12 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three years ago, Rishi Sunak was an unknown junior minister in the Department of Local Government. By the age of thirty-nine, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, grappling with the gravest economic crisis in modern history. Michael Ashcroft's new book charts Sunak's ascent from his parents' Southampton pharmacy to Oxford University, the City of London, Silicon Valley – and the top of British politics. It is the tale of a super-bright and hard-grafting son of immigrant parents who marries an Indian heiress and makes a fortune of his own; a polished urban southerner who wins over the voters of rural North Yorkshire – and a cautious, fiscally conservative financier who becomes the biggest-spending Chancellor in history. Sunak was unexpectedly promoted to the Treasury's top job in February 2020, with a brief to spread investment and opportunity as part of Boris Johnson's 'levelling up' agenda. Within weeks, the coronavirus had sent Britain into lockdown, with thousands of firms in peril and millions of jobs on the line. As health workers battled to save lives, it was down to Sunak to save livelihoods. This is the story of how he tore up the rulebook and went for broke.

Diaries Volume 5: Outside, Inside, 2003–2005

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785900889
Total Pages : 539 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Diaries Volume 5: Outside, Inside, 2003–2005 by : Alastair Campbell

Download or read book Diaries Volume 5: Outside, Inside, 2003–2005 written by Alastair Campbell and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2016-10-06 with total page 539 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE ALL-NEW DIARIES Alastair Campbell's diaries have the quality of Pepys ... people will be looking for insights and finding them in 100 years' time. Lord Alex Carlile Launched to a blaze of critical acclaim, Alastair Campbell's explosive diaries became an instant classic. Now, this eagerly anticipated new volume picks up where its predecessor left off, with Campbell standing down as Tony Blair's director of communications in 2003. Leaving Downing Street, however, isn't as easy as it seems, with Campbell persistently drawn back to the epicentre of power - often to the frustration of his partner, Fiona. As Lord Hutton prepares to publish his report, thus sparking a huge crisis for the BBC, any joy in No. 10 is dwarfed by continuing difficulties in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Blair/Brown relationship is fracturing almost beyond repair, and Campbell is tasked with devising a plan that will enable the two men to fight a united election campaign. At home, Campbell writes frankly of his continuing battles with mental health issues as he attempts to adapt to a new life beyond the confines of Westminster. Lifting the lid on the power battles at the heart of the Labour Party that sowed the seeds of today's turmoil, Outside, Inside is a vivid and compelling insight into modern political history, and a candid reflection on the personal impact of life in the corridors of power.

Diaries Volume 6: From Blair to Brown, 2005 – 2007

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785902512
Total Pages : 570 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Diaries Volume 6: From Blair to Brown, 2005 – 2007 by : Alastair Campbell

Download or read book Diaries Volume 6: From Blair to Brown, 2005 – 2007 written by Alastair Campbell and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One might have thought Alastair Campbell would disappear from view as Gordon Brown moved from No. 11 to No. 10. Far from it. Having negotiated the rapprochement which led to Brown taking a central role in the 2005 election win, Campbell then became central to the transition from one Prime Minister to another. Many books have already been written about Brown and Blair, but none with the intimacy and the unique perspective of Alastair Campbell. As this volume opens, Blair has just won a historic third term. But any joy is short-lived and he knows he is running out of road. By the time it ends two years later, Brown is Prime Minister. Campbell was virtually alone in seeing that process from both sides, as Brown began to lean on him almost as much as Blair had done. Meanwhile we continue to get an insight into Campbell's mental health struggles, his attempts to rebuild a normal family life, and the plethora of new challenges he takes on which introduce dozens of new characters, not least the rugby stars he worked with for the British and Irish Lions, and the football legend he has vowed to mention to someone every day for the rest of his life, charity match teammate, Diego Maradona.

Jacob's Ladder

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785905317
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Jacob's Ladder by : Michael Ashcroft

Download or read book Jacob's Ladder written by Michael Ashcroft and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jacob Rees-Mogg is one of the most prominent and controversial figures in contemporary British politics. He is a man who divides opinion in his own party, in Parliament and across the country. An arch-Brexiteer with significant business interests and a large personal fortune, he has long been a vocal critic of the European Union and of Prime Minister Theresa May's attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal. As chairman of the powerful anti-EU organisation the European Research Group, he has also been a thorn in the side of those seeking to dilute Brexit. While many people mock him for his impeccable manners and traditional attitudes – he has been dubbed 'the Honourable Member for the eighteenth century' – an equally great number applaud him for his apparent conviction politics. Undoubtedly, Rees-Mogg stands out among the current crop of MPs and his growing influence cannot be ignored. In this wide-ranging unauthorised biography of the Conservative Member of Parliament for North East Somerset, Michael Ashcroft, bestselling author of Call Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron, turns his attention to one of the most intriguing politicians of our time.

Beyond a Fringe

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785906992
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Beyond a Fringe by : Andrew Mitchell

Download or read book Beyond a Fringe written by Andrew Mitchell and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Times Political Book of the Year A Daily Mail Political Book of the Year A Guardian Political Book of the Year An Independent Political Book of the Year Veering from the hilarious to the tragic, Andrew Mitchell's tales from the parliamentary jungle make for one of the most entertaining political memoirs in years. From his prep school years, straight out of Evelyn Waugh, through the Army to Cambridge, the City of London and the Palace of Westminster, Mitchell has passed through a series of British institutions at a time of furious social change – in the process becoming rather more cynical about the Establishment. Here, he brilliantly lifts the lid on its inner workings, from the punctilio of high finance to the dark arts of the government Whips' Office, and reveals how he accidentally started Boris Johnson's political career – an act which rebounded on him spectacularly. Engagingly honest about his ups and downs in politics, Beyond a Fringe is crammed with riotous political anecdotes and irresistible insider gossip from the heart of Westminster.

Diane Abbott

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785906275
Total Pages : 444 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Diane Abbott by : Robin Bunce

Download or read book Diane Abbott written by Robin Bunce and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-24 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than three decades after her election to Parliament, Diane Abbott is still racking up firsts. The first black woman elected to Parliament, she also recently became the first black person to represent their party at PMQs. Based on interviews with her colleagues, her political opponents and friends from school and university, as well as extensive archival research, Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography traces Abbott's path from London, via Cambridge University, through the media and radical politics into Parliament, and then to the top of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow Cabinet.

Rebel With a Cause

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785901141
Total Pages : 271 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Rebel With a Cause by : Ann Clwyd

Download or read book Rebel With a Cause written by Ann Clwyd and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2017-03-28 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A BORN REBEL, ANN CLWYD HAS NEVER FEARED A FIGHT. The first woman to represent a Welsh Valleys constituency in Parliament, Ann Clwyd has spent thirty-three years in the corridors of power and witnessed the key political events of modern times, from the miners' strike, which ripped apart communities, to the EU referendum, which looks set to reshape a continent. She was shadow Secretary of State for Wales and shadow Secretary of State for International Development - only to be sacked over her refusals to toe the Labour Party line. Waging a tireless war against injustice from the back benches, Ann has campaigned for better-quality NHS care, a cause close to her heart and one that became tragically personal when her beloved husband, Owen, was failed by our hospitals. Publicly denounced by Saddam Hussein, she has been a fierce ally of the Iraqi people for decades, earning a place on the regime's 'most wanted' list and winning the lifelong affection of its citizens. Rebel with a Cause is Ann Clwyd's remarkable story of battling for her principles, regardless of wounds inflicted on her political career. This resolve was demonstrated when, undeterred by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's three-line whip, she voted against Article 50. Despite having faced constant opposition over the course of her parliamentary career, Ann has always fought back fiercely and continues to do so to this day.

Exceeding My Brief

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 178590356X
Total Pages : 270 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Exceeding My Brief by : Barbara Hosking

Download or read book Exceeding My Brief written by Barbara Hosking and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2017-11-21 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the tragic massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, to signing the Treaty of Rome when Britain entered the Common Market, Barbara Hosking was there. This is the story of a Cornish scholarship girl with no contacts who ended up in the corridors of power. It is also the very personal story of her struggle with her sexuality as a bewildered teenager, and as a young woman in the 1950s, a time when being gay could mean social ostracism. Born during the General Strike in 1926, Barbara Hosking worked her way through London's typing pools in the 1950s to executive posts in the Labour Party, then to No. 10 as a press officer to Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. Between working on a copper mine in the African bush, pioneering British breakfast television and negotiating the complexities of government, hers has been a life of breadth and bravery. Looking back at the age of ninety-one, this is Barbara Hosking's unheard-of account of the innermost workings of politics and the media amid the turbulence of twentieth-century Britain.

Passport to Success

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785907409
Total Pages : 405 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis Passport to Success by : Peter Cruddas

Download or read book Passport to Success written by Peter Cruddas and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2022-03-18 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The son of a meat market porter and an office cleaner, Peter Cruddas left Shoreditch Comprehensive School at the age of fifteen with no qualifications and a part-time job as a milkman. Today he's Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch, the founder of a £1.5 billion financial trading company and a distinguished philanthropist, giving to over 200 charities through his foundation, which helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Fed up with Labour's economic mismanagement, Cruddas began his foray into politics, becoming a key Conservative Party donor. But after being elevated to treasurer in 2011, he fell victim to a Sunday Times sting in which he was falsely accused of breaking the law on party donations. With unflinching honesty, he reveals the full story of his successful libel battle and opens a Pandora's box of profound wider questions about newspaper dark arts and the power of the British press over the judicial system. Refusing to be scared off from the political world, Cruddas co-founded the winning Vote Leave campaign. Here, he gives a detailed insider view of the real reasons behind the victory and contemplates how Britain can now thrive outside the EU. Filled with heartbreak and elation, this is the extraordinary story of Cruddas's epic rise from an east London council estate to a Mayfair mansion – and includes plenty of tips for budding billionaires.

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

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Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785905880
Total Pages : 403 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis I Never Promised You A Rose Garden by : Jonny Oates

Download or read book I Never Promised You A Rose Garden written by Jonny Oates and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2022-08-30 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The best book I have read all year. Simply brilliant." – Iain Dale "Oates takes you on an extraordinary journey ... His is a life lesson that serendipity and courage can change things for good." – Laura Kuenssberg, former BBC political editor "Few in political life are as candid about the underpinning of what drives them. A gripping tale of escape and rescue, this is the story of the making of a liberal soul." – Gary Gibbon, political editor, Channel 4 News *** Aged fifteen, armed with a credit card stolen from his father, Jonny Oates ran away from home and boarded a plane to Addis Ababa. His plan? To save the Ethiopian people from the devastating 1985 famine. Discovering that demand for the assistance of unskilled fifteen-year-old English boys was limited, he swiftly learned that you can't change the world by pure force of will – a lesson that would prove invaluable in politics. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden charts Oates's journey from his darkest moments alone in Ethiopia, struggling with his sexuality and mental health, to the heart of Westminster, where, as Nick Clegg's chief of staff, he grapples with the compromises and concessions of coalition. Shot through with a captivating warmth and humour, this heart-stoppingly candid memoir reflects on the challenges of balancing idealism and pragmatism, illustrating how lasting change comes from working together rather than standing alone.