In the Thick of It: The Private Diaries of a Minister (Hardback)
Alan Duncan (author)Published: 15/04/2021
Deliciously scurrilous and breathtakingly candid, former Tory MP Duncan’s Westminster diaries cover the period of Brexit from referendum to conclusion with wicked wit and pithy pen portraits – as well as some eye-opening insights into the current Prime Minister.
The explosive diaries of a former Tory Minister.
As Minister of State at the Foreign Office, Alan Duncan was once described as Boris Johnson's 'pooper-scooper'. For two years, he deputised for the then Foreign Secretary, now Prime Minister. Few are more attuned to Boris's strengths and weaknesses as a minister and his suitability for high office than the man who helped clear up his mistakes.
Riotously candid, these diaries cover the most turbulent period in recent British political history - from the eve of the referendum in 2016 to the UK's eventual exit from the EU. As two prime ministers fall, two general elections unfold and a no-confidence vote is survived, Duncan records a treasure-trove of insider gossip, giving biting and often hilarious accounts of petty rivalries, poor decision-making, big egos, and big crises.
Nothing escapes Alan's acerbic gaze. Across these unfiltered daily entries, he builds a revealing and often profound picture of UK politics and personalities. A rich seam of high politics and low intrigue, this is an account from deep inside the engine room of power.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008422264
Number of pages: 512
Weight: 930 g
Dimensions: 240 x 159 x 43 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Sensational ... Johnson's Cabinet [has been] rocked ... It is unprecedented for a politician to lift the lid on feuding in the corridors of power so soon after leaving office ... One of the most explosive political diaries ever to be published ... Candid, caustic and colourful ... In the style of great political diaries like those by Clark or Chips Channon that capture the spirit of the age. The political memoir of the year' - Daily Mail
'More than merely bracingly readable... [Alan Duncan's diaries] serve the historical function of describing the vortex of vehemence that infected our elite from mid-2016. Insults fly like shot at a pheasant shoot. Actually, make that bullets from a machinegun. This cheerful rudeness will be familiar. Although his acidic quotations were usually "non-attributable, old boy", most people in the business recognised the source. Innocents may be shocked, but such briefings are a valuable part of the truth-telling process. Duncan, for most of his years as an MP, was alive to the absurdity of political life. Duncan chronicles the despair, bafflement, plotting and rising acrimony. Daily entries become black with insults about Brexiteers. Amid this shameless ordure come deft vignettes ... Alan Duncan's bark was always worse than his bite' - Quentin Letts, The Times
'Thoughtful and nuanced ... Alan's insights into the role of a foreign office minister provide many of the highlights of the book. I am enjoying it immensely' - Iain Dale
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“A glimpse into high office”
Though Duncan comes across as bitter at times, his forthright style and candid nature make this book extremely interesting and insightful. Eurosceptic or arch-remainer, there is plenty to take away from this book.
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