REVISED AND UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE EXPLOSIVE EVENTS OF 2021 and 2022Winner at the Parliamentary Book AwardsShortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the YearLonglisted for the Orwell Prize____________Daily Telegraph’s Best Books of the YearGuardian’s Best Books of the YearEvening Standard’s Best Books of the YearDaily Mail’s Best Books of the YearBBC’s Biggest BooksProspect’s Best Books of the YearPoliticians are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public. They’ve recently become embroiled in scandals relating to everything from expenses to sexual harassment to illicit parties. Every year, they introduce new legislation that doesn’t do what it sets out to achieve – often with terrible financial and human costs. But, with some notable exceptions, they are decent, hard-working people, doing a hugely difficult and demanding job.In this searching examination of our political class, award-winning journalist Isabel Hardman tries to square this circle. She lifts the lid on the strange world of Westminster and asks why we end up with representatives with whom we are so unhappy. Filled with forensic analysis and revealing reportage, this landmark and accessible book is a must read for anyone who wants to see a future with better government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As one of the country’s leading political journalists, Isabel Hardman has spent many years in that bizarre rabbit-warren we call the Houses of Parliament. She’s conducted thousands of interviews with MPs ranging from fresh-faced recruits to Prime Ministers. With some notable exceptions, she has found them to be decent, hard-working people, doing a hugely difficult and demanding job. And yet, politicians are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public – below estate agents, lawyers and journalists. And every year, MPs collectively introduce new legislation that doesn’t do what it sets out to achieve – often with terrible financial and human costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[249],"product_tag":[250],"class_list":["post-95615","product","type-product","status-publish","product_cat-politics","product_tag-politics-government","pa_book_author-hardman-isabel","pa_cover-paperback","pa_dewey-328-0941-edition23","pa_imprint-atlantic-books","pa_language-english","pa_pages-8497","pa_publisher-atlantic-books","pa_readership-college-higher-education-code-f","first","onbackorder","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n