The Blunders of Our Governments - Softcover

King, Anthony; Crewe, Ivor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1780744056 ISBN 13: 9781780744056

Publisher: Oneworld Publications, 2014

Synopsis

There are a handful of blunders that are remembered all too well by British citizens, from the poll tax to the Millennium Dome. With unrivaled political savvy and a keen sense of irony, distinguished political scientists Anthony King and Ivor Crewe open our eyes to the worst government horror stories and explain why the British political system is so prone to appalling mistakes. Readers will discover why the government wasted up to £20 billion pounds in a failed scheme to update the London’s Underground system; why tens of thousands of single mothers were left in poverty without financial support from absent fathers; why Tony Blair committed the NHS to the biggest civilian IT project the world has ever seen, despite knowing next to nothing about computing; and much more. Groupthink, constantly rotating ministers, and a weak parliament all contribute to wasted billions and illogical policy. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Informed by years of research and interviews with senior cabinet ministers and civil servants, this razor-sharp diagnosis of flawed government also includes spirited prescriptions for more foolproof policymaking and will prove to be one of the most important political books of the decade.

About this title

About the Author

Anthony King is Millennium Professor of British Government at the University of Essex. He broadcasts frequently on politics and elections for the BBC and writes on the same subjects for the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph (London), and The Observer (London). He lives in London. Sir Ivor Crewe is the Master of University College, Oxford. Formerly Professor of Government and Vice Chancellor at the University of Essex, he lives in Oxford, U.K.

Review

'Clever and absorbing.' The Times

'Grimly entertaining This book should be a compulsory text for every would-be minister and permanent secretary.'- Financial Times

'Compelling David Cameron is said to have read about Winston Churchill’s early warmongering during his summer holidays. It would have been much better for all of us if he had read this.' - Independent on Sunday

'Fascinating and zeitgeisty.' - The Times

'This is an astonishing achievement that very rare thing, a genuinely original book and an immediately essential guide to the failures of British politics. King and Crewe go deep, without a shred of pomposity or a phrase of false rhetoric. From now on, every political journalist, civil servant and would-be minister needs to start here.' - Andrew Marr

'This book will make you gasp in disbelief and stamp your feet in rage, and quite frequently reduce you to helpless laughter... it is hard to overpraise.' - Guardian

'A powerful new book.' - Daily Mail

About this edition

• Publisher: Oneworld Publications
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1780744056
• ISBN 13: 9781780744056
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512