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In Search Of Michael Howard
Michael Howard has never been far from controversy in his twenty-two years in Parliament. Under Margaret Thatcher he introduced the poll tax, water privatisation and the notorious Clause 28. Later he was one of the most unpopular Home Secretaries of modern times, decried by his deputy Ann Widdecombe for having 'something of the night' about him. By 1997 Howard looked dead politically. Then a dramatic comeback propelled him to the Tory leadership. Michael Crick explores Michael Howard's complicated background -- the son of Jewish immigrants who settled in South Wales. As a member of the Cambridge Tory Mafia he once flirted with Labour, only to become a fervent Thatcherite and Eurosceptic -- but what does he really believe? Based on more than 400 interviews and extensive research, Michael Crick presents a rivetingly revealing look at the man who aspires to overturn Labour's massive majority at the next election.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
7 people want to read
About the author
Michael Crick
16 books19 followersMichael Crick (born 21 May 1958) is an English journalist, author and broadcaster.
Born in Northampton, he was educated at Manchester Grammar School and New College, Oxford, where he got a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). At Oxford he was editor of one of the student newspapers, Cherwell, founded the Oxford Handbook and the Oxbridge Careers Handbook, and was president of the Oxford Union.
He specialises in politics, and appeared as a regular reporter on BBC Two's Newsnight. In March 2007, he was appointed the programme's political editor.
In 2003, under heavy pressure from the preparation of the Hutton Report, it refused to show Crick's report for Newsnight into 'Betsygate', the alleged misuse of public funds by the private office of former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith and supposed payments to his wife Betsy for work she did not do. Crick referred the case to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Sir Philip Mawer and the Duncan Smiths were cleared of any impropriety.
In the 2005 general election, it was observed that the five most terrifying words in the political lexicon were "Michael Crick is in reception".
He has also reported for Channel 4 News and Panorama, and has appeared on Have I Got News For You. He is known as the unofficial biographer and nemesis of Jeffrey Archer. Margaret Crick, his estranged wife, published a biography of Archer's wife Mary in 2005.
A keen supporter of Manchester United, he has written several books on the team as well as his literary political works. In 1998-99 he was the organiser of the Shareholders United Against Murdoch campaign which successfully opposed BSkyB's proposed takeover of United. He later served as Vice-Chairman of Shareholders United.
He lives with his partner Lucy Hetherington and they have a baby girl called Isabel. He also has an older daughter from his previous marriage. On 24 February 2008, the News of the World newspaper reported that he had a six month affair with Jeanette Eccles a former BBC researcher. The paper ridiculed Crick for presenting himself as moral crusader, while his own behaviour had been unethical. He was also criticised for trying to prevent the publication of the story on the grounds of privacy, while he making a living from exposing the wrong doings of others.
Crick, a known Labour supporter, is known for his investigations of Conservative politicians and followed then Tory leader, Michael Howard around during the 2005 election campaign as part of his research for his biography of Howard, published the same year. Since then, Crick has investigated Conservative Party Chairman, Caroline Spelman for abuse of expenses.
Born in Northampton, he was educated at Manchester Grammar School and New College, Oxford, where he got a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). At Oxford he was editor of one of the student newspapers, Cherwell, founded the Oxford Handbook and the Oxbridge Careers Handbook, and was president of the Oxford Union.
He specialises in politics, and appeared as a regular reporter on BBC Two's Newsnight. In March 2007, he was appointed the programme's political editor.
In 2003, under heavy pressure from the preparation of the Hutton Report, it refused to show Crick's report for Newsnight into 'Betsygate', the alleged misuse of public funds by the private office of former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith and supposed payments to his wife Betsy for work she did not do. Crick referred the case to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Sir Philip Mawer and the Duncan Smiths were cleared of any impropriety.
In the 2005 general election, it was observed that the five most terrifying words in the political lexicon were "Michael Crick is in reception".
He has also reported for Channel 4 News and Panorama, and has appeared on Have I Got News For You. He is known as the unofficial biographer and nemesis of Jeffrey Archer. Margaret Crick, his estranged wife, published a biography of Archer's wife Mary in 2005.
A keen supporter of Manchester United, he has written several books on the team as well as his literary political works. In 1998-99 he was the organiser of the Shareholders United Against Murdoch campaign which successfully opposed BSkyB's proposed takeover of United. He later served as Vice-Chairman of Shareholders United.
He lives with his partner Lucy Hetherington and they have a baby girl called Isabel. He also has an older daughter from his previous marriage. On 24 February 2008, the News of the World newspaper reported that he had a six month affair with Jeanette Eccles a former BBC researcher. The paper ridiculed Crick for presenting himself as moral crusader, while his own behaviour had been unethical. He was also criticised for trying to prevent the publication of the story on the grounds of privacy, while he making a living from exposing the wrong doings of others.
Crick, a known Labour supporter, is known for his investigations of Conservative politicians and followed then Tory leader, Michael Howard around during the 2005 election campaign as part of his research for his biography of Howard, published the same year. Since then, Crick has investigated Conservative Party Chairman, Caroline Spelman for abuse of expenses.
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June 15, 2023
Another page-turned by Crick. And that really is saying something when Michael Howard is the subject-matter. Yes, Howard has a more interesting background and personal life than I was aware of (his lothario reputation during his university days was especially surprising). And his extracurricular activities - baseball, popular music, films - give him a more sympathetic image than his public image. But it's still Michael Howard. Of the (many) Conservative bogeymen back in the day, he still stands out. Ann Widecombe famously said that Howard has something of the night in him (I know: pots and kettles and all that). And there's no question his public persona was deeply unsympathetic. The fact that he fronted so many unpopular policies - poll tax, water privatisation, Section 28 - didn't help. But neither did the way he presented those policies and himself. And Crick's point that Howard often didn't agree with the policies, but saw them through anyway hardly makes Howard any more likeable. The opposite is true, I would have thought. A tough-on-immigration politician whose father was an illegal immigrant. Socially conservative despite married to a thrice-divorced wife. It's the old, old story when it comes to those in charge: do what I say not what I (or my family) do. Crick's conclusion that Howard was more interested in 'being there' than in 'doing something' applies to so many politicians we've had recently - Cameron, Osborne, Johnson, Sunak. As does another of Crick's conclusions, which states that Howard was never an original thinker. I'm about to start Crick's biography on Heseltine. Should make an interesting contrast to this one. What will be the same, I'm sure, is Crick's brilliant research and writing, fair-mindedness and shrewdness. Several times during this book the Caro biography of Lyndon Johnson is mentioned. And it is the greatest political biography ever written. Crick's books aren't in Caro's league. But - Caro aside - they're still right up there with the best. One strange feature of the book. There are no photographs. Very unusual for a biography.
Displaying 1 of 1 review