The Impossible Office?

The Impossible Office?
Author: Anthony Seldon
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 569
Release: 2024-03-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 1009429779

Over 300 years, fifty-seven individuals have held the office of British Prime Minister - who have been the best and worst?

The Prime Ministers

The Prime Ministers
Author: Steve Richards
Publisher:
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2020-09
Genre: Great Britain
ISBN: 9781786495884

A landmark history of the men and women who have defined the UK's role in the modern world - and what makes them special - by a seasoned political journalist.

The Impossible Office?

The Impossible Office?
Author: Anthony Seldon
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 569
Release: 2024-03-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1009429760

A Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year. The recent political chaos enfolding Downing Street provides the framing for the extraordinary story of the office of Prime Minister, and how and why it has endured longer than any other democratic political office in world history. Sir Anthony Seldon, historian of Number 10, explores the lives and careers, crises and scandals, and successes and failures of our great Prime Ministers from Robert Walpole to Clement Attlee and Margaret Thatcher, up to the recent churn of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Seldon discusses which of our PMs have been most effective and why, as well as probing the changing relationship between the Monarchy and the Prime Minister in intimate detail. A celebration of the humanity, frailty, work and achievements of 57 remarkable individuals who averted revolution and civil war, leading the country through times of peace, crisis and war.

Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers

Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers
Author: Robert Eccleshall
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 458
Release: 2002-06-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1134662300

The Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers is a wide-ranging, comprehensive guide to the political lives of Britain's prime ministers from Sir Robert Walpole to Tony Blair. Written by some of the leading authorities on British politics this authoritative dictionary provides essential information about each premiership, including facts and analytical debate. Each entry has been written to the same formula and contains: * brief biographical information outlining career history and significant dates and events * a brief summary of the significance and peculiarities of a particular prime minister followed by a more descriptive and interpretative account of his or her political life and impact on British politics * references and further reading. The Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers addresses many of the key themes to understanding the role and impact of particular prime ministers such as: the political context; party management and reform; intra-party intellectual debate; and where relevant the evolution of the office of prime minister.

The British Prime Minister in an Age of Upheaval

The British Prime Minister in an Age of Upheaval
Author: Mark Garnett
Publisher: Wiley
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2021-05-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781509539369

Even before the prolonged political crisis triggered by the 2016 EU referendum, and the unprecedented challenges to government posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, one could argue that a Prime Minister’s opportunities had become heavily compromised by unrealistic media-driven public expectations. In this timely book, leading analyst of UK politics Mark Garnett provides a re-assessment of the role of the British Prime Minister, from Margaret Thatcher’s controversial tenure to Boris Johnson’s autocratic post-Brexit regime. Taking a thematic approach, he explores the impact of major political developments and personalities on key aspects of the prime ministerial function as party leader, cabinet maker, chief diplomat and electoral talisman. Much of the controversy over the position of Prime Minister, he concludes, arises from a confusion between the occupant’s inevitable political prominence and his or her – often limited - ability to achieve positive policy outcomes. In view of the enforced resignations of David Cameron and Theresa May since the referendum, the book questions whether the nature of the job has become a deterrent for politicians who hope to find personal satisfaction in public service, opening the way for individuals with much less laudable motivations.

Britain's Greatest Prime Minister

Britain's Greatest Prime Minister
Author: Martin Hutchinson
Publisher: Lutterworth Press
Total Pages: 453
Release: 2020-11-26
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0718848217

Britain's Greatest Prime Minister: Lord Liverpool unpicks two centuries of Whig history to redeem Lord Liverpool (1770-1828) from 'arch-mediocrity' and establish him as the greatest political leader the country has ever seen. In the past, biographers of Lord Liverpool have not sufficiently acknowledged the importance of his foremost skill: economic policy (including fiscal, monetary and banking system questions). Here, Hutchinson's decades of experience in the finance sector provide a more specialised perspective on Liverpool's economic legacy than most historians are able to offer. From his adept handling of unparalleled economic and social difficulties, to his strategic defeat of Napoleon and unprecedented approach to the subsequent peace process, Liverpool is shown to have set Britain's course for prosperity and effective government for the following century. In addition to granting him his rightful place among British Prime Ministers on both domestic and foreign policy grounds, Hutchinson advances how a proper regard for Liverpool's career might have changed the structure and policies of today's government for the better.

Churchill to Major: The British Prime Ministership since 1945

Churchill to Major: The British Prime Ministership since 1945
Author: R.L. Borthwick
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2016-09-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 1315481510

This text summarizes the research on, and experiences of, democratic legislatures around the world. It focuses on what legislatures are and what they do - as both consequence of and contributor to democratic self-government.

Facts about the British Prime Ministers

Facts about the British Prime Ministers
Author: Dermot J. T. Englefield
Publisher: Cassell Academic
Total Pages: 439
Release: 1995
Genre: Great Britain
ISBN: 9780720123067

With salient historical, political and personal facts on British prime ministers from Robert Walpole to John Major, this reference work is intended for all those concerned with British history and politics. There are chapters on each prime minister, arranged chronologically, beginning with brief summaries of careers and significance, followed by personal and family information. Details of elections fought are then covered. with party, parliamentary and ministerial posts held. Each chapter includes a chronology of the important events and accomplishments of the suject's life, and closes with information on education, non-parliamentary career, finances, honours, anecdotes, residence, memorials and a select list of publications on or by a prime minister. Part Two analyzes the information in 80 lists and tables, providing comparative views of prime ministers.

Why Spencer Perceval Had to Die

Why Spencer Perceval Had to Die
Author: Andro Linklater
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2013-05-09
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1408831716

On 11 May 1812 Spencer Perceval, the British Prime Minister, was fatally shot at close range in the lobby of the House of Commons. In the confused aftermath, his assailant, John Bellingham, made no effort to escape. A week later, before his motives could be examined, he was tried and hanged.Here, for the first time, the historian Andro Linklater looks past the conventional image of Bellingham as a 'deranged businessman' and portrays him as an individual, driven by personal anxieties and by the raw emotions that convulsed his home town of Liverpool. But as the evidence accumulates, a wider, darker picture emerges - John Bellignham was not alone in hating the prime minister.Two hundred years later, Andro Linklater examines the ecidence and brilliantly deconstructs the assassination of Spencer Perceval - the only British Prime Minister ever to have suffered that fate - to offer a fresh perspective on Britain and the Western world at a critical moment in history.

The Prime Ministers

The Prime Ministers
Author: Iain Dale
Publisher:
Total Pages: 608
Release: 2020-11-12
Genre:
ISBN: 9781529312140

It has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before. The Prime Ministers, edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale, brings to life all 55 of Britain's 'First Among Equals' with an essay for each office holder, written by key figures in British politics. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements.