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Blue Murder by Ben Riley-Smith

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Blue Murder

Publisher
John Murray Press
Publish Date
28 September 2023
Run Time
14 hours 17 minutes
Format
Audiobook
$13.95

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What to expect

'BRILLIANT' ANDREW MARR

'HAD ME OPEN-MOUTHED WITH AMAZEMENT' ED BALLS

'ESSENTIAL' JON SOPEL

'A GRIPPINGLY WRITTEN, DETAILED BOOK THAT ANSWERS SO MANY QUESTIONS' ISABEL HARDMAN

'SUPERB' EVAN DAVIS

The explosive full story of the past dozen years of Tory rule, from coalition to self-destruction; fully updated to include the general election.

Over the last decade, the British people have seen five different Conservative Prime Ministers, with five different missions and five messages to the nation. From the ashes of a financial crisis, to a break from the EU, to a global pandemic, governments - and ideologies - have changed, but Tory power has clung on. Merciless rebellion and the swift ousting of leaders have enabled this, and yet the same ruthlessness may ultimately bring about their downfall.

Witty, hair-raising and brilliantly sourced, Blue Murder links as never before stories of betrayal in Cameron's Coalition, the rifts behind the Referendum, the travails of May, the chaos of the pandemic, the sagas of Johnson, the Truss implosion and the Sunak patch-job.

Through his unique access and unmissable inside stories, acclaimed Westminster journalist Ben Riley-Smith's explosive account is essential for anyone wondering how the Tories kept changing, kept revolting - and kept winning. For readers of Tim Shipman and Rory Stewart, this is the first, fullest and frankest story of the entire Tory government.

Previously published as The Right to Rule

Critics Review

  • A brilliant encapsulation of thirteen years

    Andrew Marr

  • Essential

    Jon Sopel

  • A grippingly-written, detailed book that answers so many questions

    Isabel Hardman

  • Insightful, authoritative and incredibly readable. It had me open-mouthed with amazement

    Ed Balls

See more reviews
  • Superb

    Evan Davis

  • Marvellous . . . Packed with insight, gossip and candid reflections from the major players

    Stephen Bush

  • Expertly explains how a governing party mainly skilled in backstabbing survived in power

    Michael Portillo

  • A wonderfully written canter through an extraordinary decade and a bit. Highly recommended

    Chris Mason

  • Future historians will take Ben Riley-Smith's lucid and riveting book as their guide

    Alan Johnson

  • Colourful and richly researched

    Rafael Behr

  • Riley-Smith is an excellent, pithy writer with a knack for a telling phrase

    Daily Telegraph

  • A sharp insider account of the long Tory reign

    New Statesman

  • Terrific. Not all political books are page-turners. This really is. It will be a while before it's bettered. It is really excellent

    Matthew d'Ancona

  • Filled with chaos, rebellion, infighting, backbiting and catastrophe and much more. Interesting . . . a cracking read

    Financial Times, 'Readers' Best Books of 2023'

  • Future historians will refer to this study in cynicism and clever reinvention

    Daily Telegraph, 50 Best Books of 2023

  • Riley-Smith is an excellent, pithy writer with a knack for a telling phrase . . . it will remain among the best books written about the chaos and carnage of the last 13 years

    Daily Telegraph

  • A majestic digested read of the last 13 years of Tory leadership, drawing together the threads of fou

    Guardian, Best Politics Books of the Year

  • An impeccably sourced insider account

    Financial Times

User Reviews

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Details

Author
Ben Riley-Smith
Narrator
Ben Riley-Smith
Duration
14 hours 17 minutes
Release Date
28 September 2023
ISBN
9781399810333
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
John Murray Press
Genre
Political parties and party platforms, Politics and government

Synopsis

'BRILLIANT' ANDREW MARR'HAD ME OPEN-MOUTHED WITH AMAZEMENT' ED BALLS'ESSENTIAL' JON SOPEL'A GRIPPINGLY WRITTEN, DETAILED BOOK THAT ANSWERS SO MANY QUESTIONS' ISABEL HARDMAN'SUPERB' EVAN DAVISThe explosive full story of the past dozen years of Tory rule, from coalition to self-destruction; fully updated to include the general election. Over the last decade, the British people have seen five different Conservative Prime Ministers, with five different missions and five messages to the nation. From the ashes of a financial crisis, to a break from the EU, to a global pandemic, governments - and ideologies - have changed, but Tory power has clung on. Merciless rebellion and the swift ousting of leaders have enabled this, and yet the same ruthlessness may ultimately bring about their downfall.Witty, hair-raising and brilliantly sourced, Blue Murder links as never before stories of betrayal in Cameron's Coalition, the rifts behind the Referendum, the travails of May, the chaos of the pandemic, the sagas of Johnson, the Truss implosion and the Sunak patch-job.Through his unique access and unmissable inside stories, acclaimed Westminster journalist Ben Riley-Smith's explosive account is essential for anyone wondering how the Tories kept changing, kept revolting - and kept winning. For readers of Tim Shipman and Rory Stewart, this is the first, fullest and frankest story of the entire Tory government.Previously published as The Right to Rule

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