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Betting the House: The Inside Story of the 2017 Election
On 18th April 2017, Theresa May stunned Britain by announcing a snap election. With poll leads of more than 20 points over Jeremy Corbyn’s divided Labour Party, the first Tory landslide since Margaret Thatcher’s day seemed certain.
Seven weeks later, Tory dreams had turned to dust. Instead of the 100-seat victory she’d been hoping for, May had lost her majority, leaving Parliament hung and her premiership hanging by a thread. Labour MPs, meanwhile, could scarcely believe their luck. Far from delivering the wipe-out that most predicted, Corbyn’s popular, anti-austerity agenda won the party 30 seats, cementing his position as leader and denying May the right to govern alone.
This timely and indispensable book gets to the bottom of why the Tories failed, and how Corbyn’s Labour overcame impossible odds to emerge closer to power than at any election since the era of Tony Blair. Who was to blame for the Tories’ mistakes? How could so many politicians and pollsters fail to see what was coming? And what was the secret of Corbyn’s apparently unstoppable rise?
Seven weeks later, Tory dreams had turned to dust. Instead of the 100-seat victory she’d been hoping for, May had lost her majority, leaving Parliament hung and her premiership hanging by a thread. Labour MPs, meanwhile, could scarcely believe their luck. Far from delivering the wipe-out that most predicted, Corbyn’s popular, anti-austerity agenda won the party 30 seats, cementing his position as leader and denying May the right to govern alone.
This timely and indispensable book gets to the bottom of why the Tories failed, and how Corbyn’s Labour overcame impossible odds to emerge closer to power than at any election since the era of Tony Blair. Who was to blame for the Tories’ mistakes? How could so many politicians and pollsters fail to see what was coming? And what was the secret of Corbyn’s apparently unstoppable rise?
457 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 16, 2018
How can you be winning 4-0 at half time and then just end up scraping a win on penalties a.e.t?? That seems to be the question surrounding the abysmal Tory performance in the election of 2017. The book enlightens us on the main causes and the disastrous mistakes made by May and her team. Notwithstanding that, it also shows how whilst May's ratings fell precipitously, Corbyn's did the opposite. The main issues however relate to;
1. An unprepared and surprising call for a snap election, with no involvement outside the small inner circle of May. Labour were better prepared functionally and financially
2. A disastrous 'tactical', 'detailed' and unpopular manifesto compared to a populist and unchallenged labour spend thrift one, and an absence of focussing on strengths.
3. The exposure of the 'real' May and the 'real' Corbyn, May more A.I than E.I, the Maybot, lacking courage, charisma and charm, vs the 'open honest', 'principled' and 'relaxed' Corbyn, who voters warmed to whilst cooling on May.
4. The terror attacks which should have strengthened May, actually weakened her through her slow and remote responses and the clever change of focus by Corbyn to 'austerity and police cuts'
Timothy and Hill should and did rightly take the lions share of the blame in running a dysfunctional campaign, drafting a terrible manifesto and keeping the 'wise heads' away from May.
Outside of the poor leadership, direction and management of the campaign, it is also fundamental that the Tories lost because of an ill judged Brexit strategy, which turned half the country against them, allowing Labour to sweep up all the 'Remainers' and 'Soft Brexiteers' (dishonestly I should add with their ambiguous stance on Brexit). Furthermore in calling a 'snap election' it demonstrated an arrogance to the country and a belief that a Tory increased majority would be a foregone conclusion. This had a major impact on voters punishing the Tories, because well, they will get in anyway and Corbyn is bound to lose, so voting Labour will not do any harm, but will in fact save the country from a landslide victory to the 'nasty Tories'!
So, in summary, fundamentally it was an error in judgement to call an election in the first place. But in the event of an election, the 'hard Brexit strategy' was damning and May still fails to read the feelings of the populace, that whilst Brexit does mean Brexit for the vast majority, the same majority want a 'softer' Brexit and ties with the EU. Secondly the manifesto should have been 'strategic' and more 'popular' with a greater focus on traditional strengths that helped Cameron win in the past, and should certainly have 'involved' the 'big beasts', Hammond, Davis Rudd and Boris.
The question still remains about May and her judgement and leadership. Tenacious, persistent, and disciplined - yes - operationally good, but Leadership??? Yet in spite of all predictions, 7 months later, she is still PM and appearing to recover and get stronger!!
1. An unprepared and surprising call for a snap election, with no involvement outside the small inner circle of May. Labour were better prepared functionally and financially
2. A disastrous 'tactical', 'detailed' and unpopular manifesto compared to a populist and unchallenged labour spend thrift one, and an absence of focussing on strengths.
3. The exposure of the 'real' May and the 'real' Corbyn, May more A.I than E.I, the Maybot, lacking courage, charisma and charm, vs the 'open honest', 'principled' and 'relaxed' Corbyn, who voters warmed to whilst cooling on May.
4. The terror attacks which should have strengthened May, actually weakened her through her slow and remote responses and the clever change of focus by Corbyn to 'austerity and police cuts'
Timothy and Hill should and did rightly take the lions share of the blame in running a dysfunctional campaign, drafting a terrible manifesto and keeping the 'wise heads' away from May.
Outside of the poor leadership, direction and management of the campaign, it is also fundamental that the Tories lost because of an ill judged Brexit strategy, which turned half the country against them, allowing Labour to sweep up all the 'Remainers' and 'Soft Brexiteers' (dishonestly I should add with their ambiguous stance on Brexit). Furthermore in calling a 'snap election' it demonstrated an arrogance to the country and a belief that a Tory increased majority would be a foregone conclusion. This had a major impact on voters punishing the Tories, because well, they will get in anyway and Corbyn is bound to lose, so voting Labour will not do any harm, but will in fact save the country from a landslide victory to the 'nasty Tories'!
So, in summary, fundamentally it was an error in judgement to call an election in the first place. But in the event of an election, the 'hard Brexit strategy' was damning and May still fails to read the feelings of the populace, that whilst Brexit does mean Brexit for the vast majority, the same majority want a 'softer' Brexit and ties with the EU. Secondly the manifesto should have been 'strategic' and more 'popular' with a greater focus on traditional strengths that helped Cameron win in the past, and should certainly have 'involved' the 'big beasts', Hammond, Davis Rudd and Boris.
The question still remains about May and her judgement and leadership. Tenacious, persistent, and disciplined - yes - operationally good, but Leadership??? Yet in spite of all predictions, 7 months later, she is still PM and appearing to recover and get stronger!!
December 6, 2017
It is all so depressing. The ability of the Tory Party to completely mismanage something like a snap election designed to give it a bigger mandate whilst riding high in the polls against an unreconstructed Trotskyite is unbelievable. But hugely mismanaged it was, as this well written, entertaining, but maybe a little shallow book painfully lays bare. Having lived through this total disaster in June I was hoping for some insight that would convince me that things as portrayed in the media were not as bad as suggested. But they were. The infighting, the arrogance, the sheer colossal stupidity. The Conservative Party hates its membership - it must do, or else it would not treat it as poorly as it does. It also believes the electorate to be incapable of analysing issues and making a considered choice, despite decades which show that that it is anything but stupid (EU referendum result excepted). I have fought lots of General Elections - as a foot soldier and sometime agent - and poor strategy, planning, and execution doesn't get worse than this. Corbyn and Labour on the other hand did lots of things really well, although their ability to "do it again" with a public that believes they might stand a chance of winning is questionable. One of the annoying things about politics is that it is full of people who think they can run elections, despite never having done it before. After all, they have all watched the news! The Prime Minister's two Chiefs of Staff resigned after this farce. Based on the contents of this book, they deserve never to work for the Party or the Government again.
December 6, 2017
One of the most difficult tasks is to write a history of an election, particularly soon after the conclusion of the campaign. This is the best election history I have read.
And what a history it is... The 2017 campaign was an unmitigated shambles. It was The Thick of It on steroids. What is clear through this book is Theresa May was foolish, and advised by fools. And not the King Lear modality of fools.
What is also clear is that Jeremy Corbyn was well organized, as were his advisers and supporters. The capacity of Corbyn's campaign to mobilize an ideology of authenticity, consistency and commitment was effective. He won the campaign. He nearly won the election. He lost because the conservatives were prepared to do a deal with the DUP. Good luck with that.
Great book. Disturbing book. It is a bumpy ride from here.
And what a history it is... The 2017 campaign was an unmitigated shambles. It was The Thick of It on steroids. What is clear through this book is Theresa May was foolish, and advised by fools. And not the King Lear modality of fools.
What is also clear is that Jeremy Corbyn was well organized, as were his advisers and supporters. The capacity of Corbyn's campaign to mobilize an ideology of authenticity, consistency and commitment was effective. He won the campaign. He nearly won the election. He lost because the conservatives were prepared to do a deal with the DUP. Good luck with that.
Great book. Disturbing book. It is a bumpy ride from here.
March 30, 2018
I cannot praise this book highly enough. Written by the same author of the 2015 account “How the Tories Won,” it contained an enviable level of detail and insider accounts of what transpired during one of the most unexpected electoral outcomes in recent memory.
I remember quite vividly how certain I was that Prime Minister May had shown brilliant tact and political aptitude by calling a snap election, in which she was all but certain to achieve a crushing majority. How quickly then things unravelled, with the PM’s refusal to participate in debates, her robotic leadership style, U-turn on social care, and the absence of internal discipline among the campaign team.
Equally, if not more so, stunning was the impressive performance of Jeremy Corbyn, the supposedly bland and radical socialist all had quickly written off. His campaign’s superb read on the national mood, and willingness to throw out tired and restrained playbooks of elections past paid off big. In the end, we learn and re-learn the lesson that you can’t put too high a value on good old authenticity.
Just further evidence that CAMPAIGNS MATTER, and that every election win is worth fighting for and can never be taken for granted. Highly recommend this book.
I remember quite vividly how certain I was that Prime Minister May had shown brilliant tact and political aptitude by calling a snap election, in which she was all but certain to achieve a crushing majority. How quickly then things unravelled, with the PM’s refusal to participate in debates, her robotic leadership style, U-turn on social care, and the absence of internal discipline among the campaign team.
Equally, if not more so, stunning was the impressive performance of Jeremy Corbyn, the supposedly bland and radical socialist all had quickly written off. His campaign’s superb read on the national mood, and willingness to throw out tired and restrained playbooks of elections past paid off big. In the end, we learn and re-learn the lesson that you can’t put too high a value on good old authenticity.
Just further evidence that CAMPAIGNS MATTER, and that every election win is worth fighting for and can never be taken for granted. Highly recommend this book.
January 21, 2018
Being from the UK and living in the US, I still keep an eye on the UK political scene and I was personally thrilled to see the Tory Party come unstuck in such a dramatic way in the 2017 election although I am very far from convinced that a socialist government in the UK is the way to go. I watched the coverage of this election night from the US and it was gripping viewing.
When I was in the UK recently I saw this book and picked it up and read it in a very few sittings as it is fascinating, fast moving and written with a pace and style that is easy to follow and very well organized. It is basically chronological but jumps between the main players and it really works as a narrative. I feel much better informed as to the nuances, in particular the dreadful campaign run by the Tories, which I hadn't really appreciated since I wasn't in the country during said election.
It will be interesting to see where UK politics goes in the months and years of this parliament but this is an excellent contribution to the story of this election and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I rarely rate books 5 stars and this isn't exactly a literary gem as such, but it is so easy to read and so well written it is well worth it in my view.
When I was in the UK recently I saw this book and picked it up and read it in a very few sittings as it is fascinating, fast moving and written with a pace and style that is easy to follow and very well organized. It is basically chronological but jumps between the main players and it really works as a narrative. I feel much better informed as to the nuances, in particular the dreadful campaign run by the Tories, which I hadn't really appreciated since I wasn't in the country during said election.
It will be interesting to see where UK politics goes in the months and years of this parliament but this is an excellent contribution to the story of this election and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I rarely rate books 5 stars and this isn't exactly a literary gem as such, but it is so easy to read and so well written it is well worth it in my view.
January 3, 2018
Firstly, lol at having to tick “spoilers” for a book where we all know the outcome.
Secondly - this book was AMAZING. It covers Theresa May’s election as Tory leader/early period as PM right up to the moment the exit poll came in. There’s even a line about the disastrous conference speech of October (although considering this book’s release date was pushed back twice, they needn’t have bothered...)
Sometimes when you read things, you think “It can’t possibly be as bad as it looks, can it? Don’t people know what they’re doing?” The answer is, according to this book, that it was worse and that nobody knew what was going on.
Given the post-election shares of seats, this features on just the Conservatives and Labour. The authors, for obvious reasons, have more access to the government camp and while at times the bias comes through it didn’t stop me enjoying the book. There’s plenty about the various factions of Labour, and they’ve written up a lot about Momentum - actually crediting them as well.
Honestly though, if you buy this for no other reason, buy it for the slow motion cascade of horror/delight depicted when the exit poll was finally released.
Strongly recommend (and have been doing so since I finished it in November!)
Secondly - this book was AMAZING. It covers Theresa May’s election as Tory leader/early period as PM right up to the moment the exit poll came in. There’s even a line about the disastrous conference speech of October (although considering this book’s release date was pushed back twice, they needn’t have bothered...)
Sometimes when you read things, you think “It can’t possibly be as bad as it looks, can it? Don’t people know what they’re doing?” The answer is, according to this book, that it was worse and that nobody knew what was going on.
Given the post-election shares of seats, this features on just the Conservatives and Labour. The authors, for obvious reasons, have more access to the government camp and while at times the bias comes through it didn’t stop me enjoying the book. There’s plenty about the various factions of Labour, and they’ve written up a lot about Momentum - actually crediting them as well.
Honestly though, if you buy this for no other reason, buy it for the slow motion cascade of horror/delight depicted when the exit poll was finally released.
Strongly recommend (and have been doing so since I finished it in November!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2017
This is reportage. It is a fairly superficial narrative of the 2017 general election which draws mainly on offerings from a few key advisers on the Conservative and Labour sides. It covers what is now familiar ground in a readable and well paced format but does not get under the skin of how the election was conceived and fought. In no way does if offer the depth of analysis that you would get in the classic David Butler studies of British General Elections. And it is very skimpy on the other parties and what happened in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In particular, the events in the Scottish seats with significant losses to the SNP to both the Conservative and Labour are only given a cursory discussion.
Overall, I was disappointed in this supposed authoritative account of this unusual election.
Overall, I was disappointed in this supposed authoritative account of this unusual election.
January 5, 2019
A riveting account of a singularly bizarre election in UK history.
How could the Tories, so far ahead in the polls, headed by a PM who seemed to command the respect of her party and the nation in general lose their majority to a shambling, old socialist who was stuck in a 1970's political world with a party that, mostly, hated his guts?
Cock-up is the simple answer, and Ross walks us through the catalogue of errors with clarity.
Most of British politics for the past few years seems to be a mistake - Corbyn should never have become Labour leader, Cameron should never have promised a Brexit referendum, "Leave" shouldn't have won the referendum, Corbyn shouldn't have been able to stay as Labour leader, Boris could have been PM and May should absolutely NOT have held this snap election.
BUT, all these things are only obvious in hindsight.
Ross gets insights from a lot of the key players in this drama from all sides - and he's able to bring them across as real people and not the caricatures that normally get portrayed in the Press.
For the most part, on the Tory side, people acknowledge their mistakes; and on the Labour side, no-one seems so full of themselves to take all the credit.
It is stunning how, what had become, an efficient Tory election machine was allowed to collapse; it's interesting how May seemed to allow herself to be dominated by competing factions, driving her to act out of character and also fail to sell their manifesto.
Labour simply had reached a point where they had nothing to lose. The Momentum volunteers have to be commended for getting out there and campaigning. It's a pity that their campaigning was for a bunch of slogans and populist enthusiasm without much substance. The Tories, on the other hand, had way too much substance and no vision.
In depth narratives, like Ross's, give a poor impression of the media - all they care about is scandal as opposed to fulfilling their supposed role to help voters have all the facts.
Ross lets no-one off the hook for their mistakes, but also lets them breathe as real people. It's hard not to feel some sympathy for May (and even her closest, and ultimately doomed advisors, Timothy and Hill), and admiration for Corbyn (he is a fighter against the powers that be; priceless in this election).
How could the Tories, so far ahead in the polls, headed by a PM who seemed to command the respect of her party and the nation in general lose their majority to a shambling, old socialist who was stuck in a 1970's political world with a party that, mostly, hated his guts?
Cock-up is the simple answer, and Ross walks us through the catalogue of errors with clarity.
Most of British politics for the past few years seems to be a mistake - Corbyn should never have become Labour leader, Cameron should never have promised a Brexit referendum, "Leave" shouldn't have won the referendum, Corbyn shouldn't have been able to stay as Labour leader, Boris could have been PM and May should absolutely NOT have held this snap election.
BUT, all these things are only obvious in hindsight.
Ross gets insights from a lot of the key players in this drama from all sides - and he's able to bring them across as real people and not the caricatures that normally get portrayed in the Press.
For the most part, on the Tory side, people acknowledge their mistakes; and on the Labour side, no-one seems so full of themselves to take all the credit.
It is stunning how, what had become, an efficient Tory election machine was allowed to collapse; it's interesting how May seemed to allow herself to be dominated by competing factions, driving her to act out of character and also fail to sell their manifesto.
Labour simply had reached a point where they had nothing to lose. The Momentum volunteers have to be commended for getting out there and campaigning. It's a pity that their campaigning was for a bunch of slogans and populist enthusiasm without much substance. The Tories, on the other hand, had way too much substance and no vision.
In depth narratives, like Ross's, give a poor impression of the media - all they care about is scandal as opposed to fulfilling their supposed role to help voters have all the facts.
Ross lets no-one off the hook for their mistakes, but also lets them breathe as real people. It's hard not to feel some sympathy for May (and even her closest, and ultimately doomed advisors, Timothy and Hill), and admiration for Corbyn (he is a fighter against the powers that be; priceless in this election).
November 11, 2017
If you’re a political junkie like me then this book is a must read. Even anyone with just a passing interest in political events will find Betting the House fascinating because it really does offer an inside account of the most remarkable and surprising UK general election campaign in modern history.
Using on and off the record interviews and other sources, the authors depict a chaotic Tory party campaign which failed to react and respond to a better organised and insurgent Labour campaign which, despite its funding disadvantage, will be studied down the years as an example of how to run a successful political campaign.
Jeremy Corbyn’s relative success in the 2017 general election campaign has placed his party on the brink of power and he now has a real chance of becoming prime minister. All Theresa May’s current problems must be seen in the context of her and her party’s shambolic performance in the general election. But the result of that election was caused by a brilliant Labour campaign run by a leader, his aids and a mass membership who took the politics of hope to the streets and reaped the benefits.
It is no exaggeration to say that the 2017 general election has changed politics in the UK for good. The result obtained by Labour was achieved in the face of an overwhelmingly hostile media, but that hostility was defeated by a campaign which mobilised the masses and put policies which were previously derided by ‘experts’ and commentators as impossible and unrealistic, front and centre of the nation’s political discourse.
If you want the inside track on how this remarkable outcome occurred then you need to read this book. I guarantee that once you start it, you won’t be able to stop.
Using on and off the record interviews and other sources, the authors depict a chaotic Tory party campaign which failed to react and respond to a better organised and insurgent Labour campaign which, despite its funding disadvantage, will be studied down the years as an example of how to run a successful political campaign.
Jeremy Corbyn’s relative success in the 2017 general election campaign has placed his party on the brink of power and he now has a real chance of becoming prime minister. All Theresa May’s current problems must be seen in the context of her and her party’s shambolic performance in the general election. But the result of that election was caused by a brilliant Labour campaign run by a leader, his aids and a mass membership who took the politics of hope to the streets and reaped the benefits.
It is no exaggeration to say that the 2017 general election has changed politics in the UK for good. The result obtained by Labour was achieved in the face of an overwhelmingly hostile media, but that hostility was defeated by a campaign which mobilised the masses and put policies which were previously derided by ‘experts’ and commentators as impossible and unrealistic, front and centre of the nation’s political discourse.
If you want the inside track on how this remarkable outcome occurred then you need to read this book. I guarantee that once you start it, you won’t be able to stop.
December 6, 2017
It is all so depressing. The ability of the Tory Party to completely mismanage something like a snap election designed to give it a bigger mandate whilst riding high in the polls against an unreconstructed Trotskyite is unbelievable. But hugely mismanaged it was, as this well written, entertaining, but maybe a little shallow book painfully lays bare. Having lived through this total disaster in June I was hoping for some insight that would convince me that things as portrayed in the media were not as bad as suggested. But they were. The infighting, the arrogance, the sheer colossal stupidity. The Conservative Party hates its membership - it must do, or else it would not treat it as poorly as it does. It also believes the electorate to be incapable of analysing issues and making a considered choice, despite decades which show that that it is anything but stupid (EU referendum result excepted). I have fought lots of General Elections - as a foot soldier and sometime agent - and poor strategy, planning, and execution doesn't get worse than this. Corbyn and Labour on the other hand did lots of things really well, although their ability to "do it again" with a public that believes they might stand a chance of winning is questionable. One of the annoying things about politics is that it is full of people who think they can run elections, despite never having done it before. After all, they have all watched the news! The Prime Minister's two Chiefs of Staff resigned after this farce. Based on the contents of this book, they deserve never to work for the Party or the Government again.
April 6, 2018
This is a hugely readable, opinionated and interesting book about the 2017 election. The authors have got stuck into a lot of interesting sources and drop (or even merely allude) to lots of juicy details around each major party’s campaign.
However a criticism I would have of this book (much as I enjoyed it) is that there is a definite sympathetic skew towards Theresa May and her ministerial colleagues. I suspect this is a reflection of the authors’ Rolodexes and that their day jobs mean they can’t burn too many bridges. Whilst generally even handed I felt that too many punches were pulled as to just how vapid, gutless and ill suited to high office Theresa May is. She, her campaign and her government merely pay lip service to ideas and principles rather than actually having any - and it was the degree to which they were ‘found out’ which impacted their relative electoral failure.
To balance that criticism - the portrait and critique of May’s team jumps off the page and the portraits of Crosby and Nick Timothy are particularly well drawn.
If you can live with some soft peddling on Theresa May, this is highly recommended
However a criticism I would have of this book (much as I enjoyed it) is that there is a definite sympathetic skew towards Theresa May and her ministerial colleagues. I suspect this is a reflection of the authors’ Rolodexes and that their day jobs mean they can’t burn too many bridges. Whilst generally even handed I felt that too many punches were pulled as to just how vapid, gutless and ill suited to high office Theresa May is. She, her campaign and her government merely pay lip service to ideas and principles rather than actually having any - and it was the degree to which they were ‘found out’ which impacted their relative electoral failure.
To balance that criticism - the portrait and critique of May’s team jumps off the page and the portraits of Crosby and Nick Timothy are particularly well drawn.
If you can live with some soft peddling on Theresa May, this is highly recommended
August 31, 2018
Interesting and informative book. It did irk me ever so slightly that it painted the ‘Maybot’ as never really having suffered any kind of electoral defeat or hiccup prior to the 2017 election debacle, by glossing over her 1992 attempt to become an MP in North West Durham. Maybe she lost that as I helped on her campaign, delivered leaflets, spent Election Day with her and her husband, (she even bought me a pub lunch...probably on expenses lol), and I was a guest at the count where she was expectedly trounced by the Labour candidate. Lib Dem Tim Farron, who also features throughout this book, also stood in that 1992 election in North West Durham, I guess we were a training ground for future party leaders.
But that personal little niggle aside, I did find this an interesting read, especially as my personal politics have changed quite substantially since 1992, and it gave a great insight into what was going on, why certain decisions were made, and how it could have all ended so very differently if one or two decisions had been differently.
But that personal little niggle aside, I did find this an interesting read, especially as my personal politics have changed quite substantially since 1992, and it gave a great insight into what was going on, why certain decisions were made, and how it could have all ended so very differently if one or two decisions had been differently.
December 27, 2018
Written in a flowing style so that despite going into great detail the book never bogs down. Well worth the read for anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes vignette on British politics. While Labour's campaign is covered extensively the book is primarily the story of the Conservatives losing letting an election slip between their fingers. It's almost astonishing how the political elite of the country would obsess over every minor distraction in the media and live in constant paranoia of making any slip-up. The most disturbing thing to me however is the cynicism inherent to data-driven election campaigns - instead of just telling the people what you think it is they want to hear, it's now about pre-selecting the people who will listen to you in the first place.
August 11, 2023
Detailed and authoritative account of the botched 2017 'snap' election, which Theresa May called (without any prior warning or preparation) in an attempt to strengthen her hand over the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. Luck and events intervened, but for the Tories it was a start-to-finish fumble that allowed Labour and the party's then leader Jeremy Corbyn a fair and un-spun chance to present its offer, views and values. In the end, it was closer than anyone expected, destabilising the Conservative government and leading within two years to the disastrous Johnson and Truss administrations.
A modern how-to and how-not-to handbook. Fascinating, and well worthwhile reading for anyone and everyone interested in democratic politics, British or elsewhere.
A modern how-to and how-not-to handbook. Fascinating, and well worthwhile reading for anyone and everyone interested in democratic politics, British or elsewhere.
July 22, 2018
A riveting account of the snap 2017 election, and the factors that caused it to be an utter disaster for Theresa May and the Tory party. It examines her team, their choices and failures, and to a slightly lesser extent looks at how it was that Jeremy Corbyn enjoyed increasing popularity as the campaign progressed. The book marginalises to some extent the smaller parties: but then this election marginalised them. This is a highly readable book, as exciting as a thriller, despite the result of the campaign being known. A good introduction to behind-the-scenes political life.
April 9, 2019
Really interesting book. I’ve been so busy this week but had to keep returning every spare minute I had to take more in.
As some one “on the ground” campaigning during the election it was interesting to compare the behind the scenes reaction and actions going on at the same time.
It did feel quite Tory heavy but understandable considering what happened. I would have liked more on Scotland and the Labour gains.
Nevertheless a perfect read for people who love a good election and actually those that don’t 😂
As some one “on the ground” campaigning during the election it was interesting to compare the behind the scenes reaction and actions going on at the same time.
It did feel quite Tory heavy but understandable considering what happened. I would have liked more on Scotland and the Labour gains.
Nevertheless a perfect read for people who love a good election and actually those that don’t 😂
July 7, 2018
fascinating review of an election lost by a clueless but clever Tory party. Forced into a desperate position, aggressive populism saved jeremy Corbyn. Insightful and bold, Ross dissects a bad election for the Tories and the SNP, a disastrous election for the Greens and a surprising win for the populists of Momentum. Strange days indeed but an antidote to the media manipulation and targeting of recent years.
April 6, 2022
This is a workman-like campaign book, designed to deliver an unvarnished view of the gossipy happenings of the 2017 campaign. It doesn't bother with elegant writing -- several parts of this book could have used a better editor to smooth out a lot of clunky prose. Still, everything you'd want to know about the major events of this incredibly unusual election is here (the UK's first true snap election since 1974, I believe). A fast, enjoyable read.
May 11, 2018
much too much from a Tory perspective, shows little understanding of Corbyn's politics or of those of his friends. Not even very good as top-down history, although there are some interesting anecdotes every 15 pages or so
December 20, 2017
Interesting if a bit too tory.
June 24, 2018
Timely and terrific, very accessible and informative story of the background from inside both Tory and Labour camps to an unexpected election.
March 18, 2020
As campaign books go, this ranks up there as one of the finest I've read.
July 16, 2020
I remember the 2017 United Kingdom General Election for the same reason we all do, how Theresa May blew her double digit lead against the Jeremy Corbyn led Labour Party. The one remarkable thing about all this is that the supposed natural party of government so utterly mismanaged their campaign and their manifesto, we all remember the fabled dementia tax policy that was the hallmark, the symbolism of all that was wrong with the Tory campaign.
The book confirms all this and goes further with the insights into both parties election strategies, that underlining fear and uncertainty for the Tories as the election date drew nearer and they dealt with disaster after disaster, the robotic delivery style of Theresa May, her refusal to take part in the tv debates and of course the healthcare disaster. On the flip side we see the sheer joy and disbelief from the Labour camp, they started the campaign with a twenty point deficit, hoping to save seats where they could and all of a sudden it went from a brexit election to a referendum on the Conservative government and their years in power. Corbyn transformed into the insurgent populist as Labour voters came home and rewarded him with a remarkable election result
Labour had reached a point where in had nothing to lose and the Conservatives clearly thought there was no way they were losing this. The book reveals how the characters of both Corbyn and May were essential to what would happen, May was unable to take charge, seemingly dominated by her two chiefs of staff, at one point reduced to asking that they stop with the strong and stable mantra, knowing it was making her look ridiculous. Whereas Corbyn was his stereotypical self, proudly supporting the causes he had always backed and winning the youth vote with his optimism and desire for a better future.
One thing that stuck out from all this is that chief of staff Fiona Hill herself didn't even understand the healthcare policy that she was supposed to be promoting. No wonder she and Nick Timothy swiftly resigned the day after the election.
The book confirms all this and goes further with the insights into both parties election strategies, that underlining fear and uncertainty for the Tories as the election date drew nearer and they dealt with disaster after disaster, the robotic delivery style of Theresa May, her refusal to take part in the tv debates and of course the healthcare disaster. On the flip side we see the sheer joy and disbelief from the Labour camp, they started the campaign with a twenty point deficit, hoping to save seats where they could and all of a sudden it went from a brexit election to a referendum on the Conservative government and their years in power. Corbyn transformed into the insurgent populist as Labour voters came home and rewarded him with a remarkable election result
Labour had reached a point where in had nothing to lose and the Conservatives clearly thought there was no way they were losing this. The book reveals how the characters of both Corbyn and May were essential to what would happen, May was unable to take charge, seemingly dominated by her two chiefs of staff, at one point reduced to asking that they stop with the strong and stable mantra, knowing it was making her look ridiculous. Whereas Corbyn was his stereotypical self, proudly supporting the causes he had always backed and winning the youth vote with his optimism and desire for a better future.
One thing that stuck out from all this is that chief of staff Fiona Hill herself didn't even understand the healthcare policy that she was supposed to be promoting. No wonder she and Nick Timothy swiftly resigned the day after the election.
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