Inside Story: Politics, Intrigue and Treachery from Thatcher to Brexit

Description

An insider's account of the great political stories over the past three decades years, illustrated with Peter Brookes' iconic cartoons. With the wit and geniality that has made him so many friends in politics, Webster gives has written the verdict on the character of the senior politicians he has got to know over the decades, the much criticised Westminster Lobby system, revealing the secrets of the way political journalists operate, the future of print journalism, and the changes in politics in his marathon career. Illustrated with cartoons from the award-winning Peter Brookes, the book includes the dramatic background to Labour's decision not to enter the Euro in 1997, the interview at Chequers in 2006 that led to the fall of Tony Blair, and the gobsmacking revelation in 2002 of John Major's affair with Edwina Currie. Unearthed is new information about the defeat of Margaret Thatcher by her party in 1990, the campaign of Major to replace her, the mystery of Michael Portillo's failed attempts to become Tory leader, the election of David Cameron, and the way he played the Coalition with Nick Clegg to his benefit. He reveals more about Brexit, betrayals within Cameron's government, the long running feud between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, the reasons behind David Miliband's inability to beat his brother for the Labour leadership, the efforts to oust Brown and then Ed Miliband, the drama of Miliband's last day as Labour leader and the shock election of Jeremy Corbyn. It is the book that politicians and journalists have been waiting for. But it is one that will give readers explosive new insights on the way the stories they read at breakfast time emerge into the daylight.

Philip Webster was Political Editor of The Times from 1993 to 2010 having previously been Chief Political Correspondent. Later, As Assistant Editor (Politics), he was in charge of The Times Red Box political website and was the first editor of the ground-breaking Red Box daily briefing email. He became a Lobby correspondent in 1981 after working as a reporter and subeditor on the paper for the previous eight years. He began his career on the Eastern Daily Press in Norwich. He is a lifelong and passionate supporter of Norwich City FC.

'Webster is simply the best - a journalist with a sensational range of stories' Andrew Marr 'Magnificent tome by Philip Webster. Great insights into the world of political journalism' Iain Dale 'Philip Webster is a journalist of real intelligence and integrity with an ability to get on with all sides of the political spectrum' Alastair Campbell 'One of the greatest political journalists of my lifetime' Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator 'A brilliant journalist' Tony Blair 'This book is not, nor does it try to be, a complete political history of the period. All the better for it. This is history vignette by vignette. Regardless of how politics changed over four decades, Webster's essential activity remained the same - finding out things. He did that with distinction, through seven prime ministers, not to mention nine editors of The Times' The Times