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A Quiet Word: Lobbying, Crony Capitalism and Broken Politics in Britain
Q. What's worth £2,000,000,000, answers to no-one and operates out of public sight?
A. Britain's influence industry
The corporate takeover of democracy is no conspiracy theory - it's happening, and it affects every aspect of our lives: the food we eat, the places we live, the temperature of our planet, how we spend our money and how our money is spent for us. And much more.
A Quiet Word shows just how effectively the voice of public interest is being drowned out by the word in the ear from the professional persuaders of the lobbying industry. And if you've never heard about them, that's because the most effective lobbying goes unnoticed.
A Quiet Word shines the brightest of lights into one of the darkest and least-understood corners of our political culture. It is essential, urgent, authoritative reading for anyone interested in our democracy and where this country is heading.
And by showing how influence is constructed, it puts power back in your hands.
A. Britain's influence industry
The corporate takeover of democracy is no conspiracy theory - it's happening, and it affects every aspect of our lives: the food we eat, the places we live, the temperature of our planet, how we spend our money and how our money is spent for us. And much more.
A Quiet Word shows just how effectively the voice of public interest is being drowned out by the word in the ear from the professional persuaders of the lobbying industry. And if you've never heard about them, that's because the most effective lobbying goes unnoticed.
A Quiet Word shines the brightest of lights into one of the darkest and least-understood corners of our political culture. It is essential, urgent, authoritative reading for anyone interested in our democracy and where this country is heading.
And by showing how influence is constructed, it puts power back in your hands.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2014
4 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 7, 2019
Depressing reading but full of essential facts for those who wonder about the disingenuous and malignant impact of the wealthiest lobbying for even more wealth
July 24, 2019
I admit that this book depressed but did not surprise me. It shines light into the way money can influence politics - a must read for anyone interested in politics - local or national
April 26, 2020
Update version needed!
September 17, 2015
Everyone knows that big business holds a lot of influence in government. This books shows the British side of things without resorting to tin-foil hat conspiracy theories.
The sections on overviews of lobbying and the powers of the media are kind of interesting but too long. The sections on planning permission for business was just right.
The parts on big tobacco/sugar/alcohol/oil were interesting, informative and worrying. It shows how science is unfairly influenced or even bullied by these big private interests. It would have been interesting to hear about any lobbying that went on with marijuanna but that's more of an American thing and this book is only about British lobbying.
Privatisation of education/health was informative but I would have preferred if they added more qualification as to why these things are bad.
Overall it was a little long and repetitive at points and didnt acknowledge enough of the counter arguments to their position. However, it still achieved what it set out to do and explained how lobbying can/has been used unfairly in Britain.
The sections on overviews of lobbying and the powers of the media are kind of interesting but too long. The sections on planning permission for business was just right.
The parts on big tobacco/sugar/alcohol/oil were interesting, informative and worrying. It shows how science is unfairly influenced or even bullied by these big private interests. It would have been interesting to hear about any lobbying that went on with marijuanna but that's more of an American thing and this book is only about British lobbying.
Privatisation of education/health was informative but I would have preferred if they added more qualification as to why these things are bad.
Overall it was a little long and repetitive at points and didnt acknowledge enough of the counter arguments to their position. However, it still achieved what it set out to do and explained how lobbying can/has been used unfairly in Britain.
February 4, 2016
After the first four or five chapters I had had enough. Capitalism and democracy are antithetical, there's money to be made in influencing politicians, only the interests of the rich and powerful are represented, bears shit in the woods. Disappointing.
August 4, 2016
While the topic is undoubtedly an important one, and this book serves as a good introduction, after a while the writing unfortunately tends to get a bit samey. It is presented rather flimsily initially as a neutral book, but is far from it. A good, eye-opening read nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews