The Only Way Is Up: How to Take Britain from Austerity to Prosperity

by Polly Toynbee, David Walker

Political change is coming. But the new Westminster government's inheritance looks grim. We're all in it together, the Tories used to say. But they look set to bequeath sharp social divisions, vastly increased inequality, a stagnant economy and unfulfilled commitments on climate change - and all this at a time of unprecedented international tension.
The Only Way is Up gives us a ready reckoner on how to repair the damage and set the UK on the path to sustainable growth. Combining the latest data with expert analysis across health, children's services, the economy, environment, policing and defence, Polly Toynbee and David Walker tell the story of what went wrong during the Tories' wild ride and what must now be remedied.

Genres: Nonfiction

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2024

About the author

Polly Toynbee (born Mary Louisa Toynbee, 27 December 1946) is a British journalist and writer, and has been a columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 1998. She is a social democrat and broadly supports the Labour Party, while urging it in many areas to be more left-wing, though during the 2010 general election she urged a tactical vote in support of the Liberal Democrats in an attempt to bring about a Lab-Lib coalition in support of proportional representation. She was appointed President of the British Humanist Association in July 2007. In 2007 she was named 'Columnist of the Year' at the British Press Awards.

Reviews

[Harry Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good prosecution of the record of the Conservatives over the past 14 years. The lack of substantive attention to where we go next means that the sub-title is a bit misleading. Probably wouldn’t put it on Starmer’s Christmas list if he was asking Santa for a blueprint.