Taking the Lead: A Dog at Number 10

by John Crace

The Adventures of Herbert Hound is the tale of a picaresque journey. Starting out when a chance encounter with Sadiq Khan's labrador landed him a job working as a special advisor to Ed Miliband in 2014. Then summoned by David Cameron to work on the Remain campaign in the EU referendum. The pain of working with Theresa May. Sacked and then rehired by Boris Johnson to advise on Covid. At Balmoral when the Queen died. A ringside seat for Liz Truss. Fired by Rishi Sunak and then latterly taken on by Keir Starmer. Who knows? He might even end up on the winning side this time.

This is the story the politicians didn't want you to know. What are Larry the Cat and Dilyn the Dog really like? How did Charlotte Owen get a peerage? Herbert Hound tells all.

Genres: Humor, Satire, Politics

219 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2024

Reviews

[Val Asker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea for a book! An overview of the last decade of UK politics seen through the eyes of a dog. Herbie the hound has a good home in Tooting with John and Jill - but he feels that there is something missing in his life. So when Sadiq Khan’s Labrador mentions a job advising Ed Miliband, he decides to give it a try. Thus begins Herbie’s political career as he goes on to work for David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Keir Starmer (he misses out on Rishi Sunak who fires him. He also gets fired by Dominic Cummings but is persuaded by Dilyn, the Johnson’s dog, to return to No. 10 to advise Boris on COVID).

This was an excellent overview of what fellow Guardian columnist Marina Hyde calls Britain’s dog days. Herbie is the voice of common sense who can see where the various leaders are going wrong but is mostly powerless to stop them. John Crace’s writing is insightful and very funny. He describes the labour party’s researchers and advisers who are only interested in furthering their careers - a lot of talking but not much listening. But at least they do something! Life working for David Cameron is ‘intensely casual’ with everyone wandering into the office late and taking lots of coffee breaks. Theresa May only seems to interact with her pot plants and Liz Truss is described as ‘a 2-D cutout of herself’.

The two pot plants were hilarious! Pot plant no. 2 has too many gin and tonics on the plane to an international conference and is eventually taken home by Herbie before he dies of neglect. Herbie also encounters Larry the Downing Street cat and the Queen’s corgis when invited to Balmoral.

The book was an excellent account of a turbulent time in politics, but was also very thought- provoking in other ways. At one point Herbie has counselling - a very interesting chapter in which he sees three counsellors with differing approaches. Something the author has had experience of, according to the acknowledgements. Similarly Herbie joins Canines Anonymous who meet in the park to discuss their problems and then scavenge around the local cafe for discarded scraps of food.

All in all a very enjoyable and entertaining read. At about 270 pages it is the right length - enough space to allow a good overview but short enough to keep the reader interested.

[Judith Speed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious summary of the past 10 years of UK politics, seen through the eyes of John Crace’s dog. Talking dogs and my favourite journalist. Need I say more?

[Stephen Devonport · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely loved this.
I've read John crace in the guardian for a long time and he's a very clever and humorous author.
I love the was it's written as if the dog is talking to you
Theresa may gets the pi55 taken out of her for talking to pot plant 1 and pot plant 2 as if they're human and they get upset because she doesn't water them when she's about to get sacked.
Herbie gives evidence at the covid enquiry and says "I Swear by almighty Dog that the evidence I shall give" etc
Well worth a read especially if you are interested in politics

[Phil Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herbie's recollections reminded me of how I felt about the shit-show that was the Tory government at the time - The "advisory" referendum that suddenly became "the people's democratic answer to the EU". After all these years we still haven't moved on from "Brexit Means Brexit" which is totally meaningless. The way we treated those who'd helped us in Afghanistan, the lies told about Covid, you'll have a tough time convincing me that Johnson was ever ill enough to warrant intensive care. The oven-ready Brexit deal, which obviously wasn't and finally the assumption that they could change PMs whenever they liked without calling an election. Probably the only sensible memoir of this era you will read. Thank you Herbie.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Political autobiography of the century! (Albeit ghosted by a certain human.)

Herbie is a Cockapoo who cohabits with John and Jill Crace. John is of course a political satirist writing for The Guardian and whose column is unmissable. Definitely the article in the news in recent years most likely to take some of the sting out of the state of the world, especially in UK.

Herbie gets a job as political adviser and sticks on in there for years. His observations are certainly more reliable than those of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss!

No wonder Trump has broken with tradition by not giving space to a White House dog!

[Susan Aldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hilarious and so clever. I am hoping for a sequel. John Crace writes the parliamentary sketch for The Guardian and so has been watching our politicians for the last few years. Here he turns his (real, but I believe now no longer with us) dog Herbie into a mouthpiece for this knowledge, setting him up as an advisor to Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Ed Miliband. The story ends with the death of the Queen in 2022, so there is a lot of action to catch up on for the next dog willing to take the job on.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully crafted tongue-in-cheek book following Herbert Hound and politics in the UK. A soft and gentle expose of some of the darkest hours of British political life. John Crace threads the needle beautifully between political commentary and surrealist satire, as he always does. A short romp, but a romp nonetheless.

[Suz Bennett]

I am sure this is very clever story about politics in UK but not sure I agree a dog could have done better over last few years. Limited by my imagination no doubt. Clever observations about various recent Prime Ministers. Not as funny as I had hoped. Not recommending.

[Bea Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite silly but a bit of fun. An effective recounting of the ridiculousness of that period British politics. Found it very easy to read once I got my head around the actual concept, which took the first chapter or so.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. I always read John Crane’s in The Guardian and this did not disappoint.

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satire, as Herbert Hound finds himself at the heart of UK government during the omnishambles that was fourteen years of Tory insanity. Worth the read, imaginative, but not as funny as I had hoped.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful satirical retelling of the past few years in government. Guaranteed to make you smile.

[Percy Yue · Rating 4 out of 5]

How sarcastic! The Labour wrecked more than the Tory!

[Victoria Nightingale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird to think back to all the political things that have happened over the past years but if I have to relive it I can’t think of a better person to go on the journey with than Herbert. RIP ❤️

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me laugh out loud. Great idea; great execution

[Richard Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab..Written with fantastic imagination and more than a pinch of satire and glee.

[Simon Pitfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant and entertaining enough. To be honest the nation might be in a better place if there really had been a dog in charge at number 10 for the last 15 years.

[Voluntarystress · Rating 2 out of 5]

A political satire that just didn't work for me. A signed copy, kindly lent by a friend to whom I had to apologise for not finishing

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bang average satire. Not hugely funny, not hugely insightful.

[Nick Rudman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good account of just how absurd the Brexit referendum and 14 years of Tory government was. Bloody funny. I laughed a lot. Sometimes out loud.