Politics On the Edge
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4.5 • 245 Ratings
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- £9.99
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
Brought to you by Penguin.
From the former Conservative Cabinet minister and co-presenter of 2022's breakout hit podcast The Rest is Politics, a searing insider's account of ten extraordinary years in Parliament
Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister - before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.
Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow and inadequate our democracy and government had become. Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today.
Stewart emerged battered but with a profound affection for his constituency of Penrith and the Border, and a deep direct insight into the era of populism and global conflict.
Politics On the Edge invites us into the mind of one of the most interesting actors on the British political stage. Uncompromising, candid and darkly humorous, this is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life; a new classic of political memoir and a remarkable portrait of our age.
©2023 Rory Stewart (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Customer Reviews
Splendid, if disturbing.
Rory Stewart writes in a direct style, describing his variety of encounters during a 9-year parliamentary career.
The reader is left shaking their head at the incompetence of the UK governmental system, and the degree to which the ruling party feels like an extension of a boarding school in which members are expected to defer to senior individuals in exchange for small favours and modest advancement.
The limitations upon the ability of ministers to affect the public realm are shown in stark contrast, as individuals are rotated frequently between jobs, primarily to keep them ‘onside’ with the party, and offer a sense of progression. Prior knowledge, experience and skillset mean little in this context, which is alarming for those who experience the long arm of Westminster.
Well narrated by the author, with various accents providing amusement.
As Mr Stewart declares in the prologue, several individuals still in employment will be quite unhappy with this memoir. As an expose of a broken system it is essential reading for those who follow British politics.
Honest, highly intelligent, well read and highly prescient
I have listened to this book at least 4 times and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Really insightful
Absolutely stunning insights into parliament, brexit and the lunacy of the unraveling of the Conservative Party. Rory’s takes are funny, insightful and often deeply frustrating- it’s a great read