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Why We Get the Wrong Politicians (Paperback)
Isabel Hardman (author)Published: 01/09/2022
With consummate skill and a wry sense of humour, the respected current affairs journalist delivers a riveting dissection of our political culture and the workings of Westminster, as well as making a few insightful suggestions as to how the system could be improved.
Revised and updated to include the explosive events of 2021 and 2022.
[This book] is about how we get the wrong political cultures, which lead to us having and unrepresentative, often unprepared and frequently unhappy bunch of politicians who end up passing bad laws causing personal disasters on small or catastrophic scales to people who then flood their constituency surgeries in crisis.
Politicians are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public. They've recently become embroiled in scandals concerning sexual harassment and expenses. 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, Isabel Hardman’s impressive and insightful first book takes a long, balanced look at those in office and those who lost out, questioning our very system of government and the divisions and cynicism it so readily appears to foster. Objective and surprising, Hardman presents a very readable and important insight into the mechanics of Whitehall. A landmark study, Why We Get the Wrong Politicians is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the landscape of contemporary politics and see a future with better government.
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 9781838958473
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 330 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 27 mm
Edition: Main
MEDIA REVIEWS
A really good book... Well-structured and well-written. - Observer
Hardman's well-written, incisive book provides a good compass with which to navigate this changing landscape - The Times
It's easy to moan that Westminster doesn't work and a lot harder to explain why. To understand, this is the book you need to read. - Laura Kuenssberg – Political Editor, BBC News
An entertaining read that addresses hard questions... invaluable for those who think they know what's wrong with Westminster but have no idea how to put it right. - John Humphrys – Presenter, Today Programme
Hardman's diagnosis of the malaise in the body politic is compelling and entertaining - Robert Peston – Political Editor, ITV News
A vital and compelling read for anyone interested in the way our politics does or doesn't work - Jess Phillips, New Statesman
A fast-paced, intelligent dissection of modern politics, packed full of juicy anecdotes and insider knowledge. What Isabel Hardman doesn't know about parliament isn't worth knowing. - Helen Lewis – Deputy Editor, New Statesman
A must-read for anyone who wants to change the way they think about politicians and how they vote. - Evening Standard
As someone who has spent years writing about Westminster, Hardman knows better than most what is going wrong there... A must-read for anyone who wants a better Parliament. Crammed with insight and gossip, it will hopefully provoke the Westminster bubble to clean itself up. - Asa Bennet, Daily Telegraph
Excellent... Hardman has carefully explained how to breathe new life into the existing system. - Alex Dean, Prospect
The untold, candid account of our MPs. Isabel Hardman has been able to pierce our protective armour because we trust and respect her. And she's analysed what she found with a fierce intellect. - Harriet Harman MP
This thoroughly readable and well-researched book explains why parliamentary powers won't ever be used properly until parties change how they choose their candidates. - Lord Peter Mandelson
With humour and humanity, Isabel Hardman lifts the lid on the Houses of Parliament and shows with compelling authority how the structure and culture of our political system so often delivers the worst kind of results. This book has the power to fundamentally change how we do things in this country. - Emily Maitlis – Presenter, Newsnight
This highly readable book serves as a reminder that the principal purpose of an MP is to be a legislator, yet poorly thought through laws are often passed. - Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset
Riveting... Here's hoping lots of MPs get it in their Christmas stocking. - Daily Telegraph
Both original and practical, a press gallery eye view on why so many good people either don't make it into parliament or don't manage to achieve what they thought they would once there. Hardman writes well - Guardian, Best Books of 2018
A brilliantly lucid explanation of the systemic problems in our electoral system that make policy-making and government such a mess. - Nick Curtis, Evening Standard
A title no one could disagree with. Political journalist Hardman analyses why we end up with representatives we think are useless and suggests how we might do things differently. - Daily Mail
Eye-opening. - Sunday Telegraph
Excellent. - Independent
Extremely well-written. - Sorted
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