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Britain Is Better Than This
- Why a Great Country Is Failing Us All
- Narrated by: Gavin Esler
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
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Britain Is Better Than This
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Summary
An urgent and timely exploration of a British political system in peril – and what we must do to save it.
For centuries, British identity has been shaped by ideas of exceptionalism, grandeur and competence. Yet British democracy is failing. Governments supported by a minority of voters are elected with enormous majorities under a deeply unrepresentative first-past-the-post system. The result has been failed leaders delivering wounding blows to the country's economy, prosperity and international image.
Britain Is Better Than This explores what lies beneath this sense of malaise, revealing the structural and constitutional failures at the heart of a sclerotic political system. It sheds light on a culture of lies, distrust and corruption. It reveals fundamental flaws in core institutions, including the media, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It draws on events such as the MP expenses scandal, Brexit, 'Partygate' and the farcical premiership of Liz Truss, as symptoms of a great nation at a turning point yet unsure of which way to turn. And it looks ahead, offering practical solutions to answer the key question of our time: What do we need to do to build a better future?
Critic reviews
'The most compelling, lacerating description of the Muppet show that is British public life... Esler on occasion reaches the heights of Tom Paine in his devastating mockery of the British system – from the corners of the House of Lords to the playing fields of Eton. You laugh out loud while violently agreeing – we are better than this.' (Will Hutton)
'Gavin Esler rightly asserts that Britain is better than this, shows with vivid insight why it is a country in deep crisis and what can be done about it. There can be no book more urgently needed than this one.' (Steve Richards)
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What listeners say about Britain Is Better Than This
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Miffy
- 14-04-24
great read (listen)
excellent summary of what's holding this country back and what we need to do if we want to move beyond post war/post empire hangover.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Adrian
- 08-12-23
Suburb and yet very depressing!
Very well researched and presented case for how the ruling elite shape and maintain their superior and gilded position. We can only hope that things will get better once the current bunch of crooks are ousted, but I’m not holding my breath! Very well done Gavin.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-12-23
An excellent book.
This book is well researched and also well written. The political dishonesty of recent years has clearly shown that we MUST do better. Driven by the target of personal gain rather than what is best for all the country's citizens.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 27-03-24
A frightening tale of truth and lies
I wish those who are still blind to the incompetence of the Little England government would read the truths laid out by Gavin Estler and accept that the lies fabricated by those in power and their media masters have resulted in the destruction of what was previously known as Great Britain. An excellent book that I recommend to everyone who is in need of truth and not lies.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kez
- 27-02-24
Democracy? What Democracy?
Giving Essler has produced a very clear denouncement of the British "Constitution" and why it must change now if Britain is not to slip even further down the ladder of 3rd world elected dictatorships. It is a call to action that we, the mewing public, must respond to vigorously. We need a written constitution like 99.9% of the rest of the world, and a proportional representation system for elections which should allow us to climb back up the ladder of democratic respectability. How can we tolerate a first past the post system which, far from ensuring stable government, has given us a shockingly bad bunch of chancers as Prime Minister over the last decade, and places too much power in the hands of the executive? Only the UK and Belorus use this system and we criticise Belorus for it while hoping no-one notices the same level of dictatorial abuses being meted out in the UK. This book has opened my eyes to the reasons why I have thought for so long that this country is going to the dogs. It should be compulsory reading for every citizen so that we all collectively demand better.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- David
- 23-11-23
Fantastic beginning, diminished by the closing
Mr. Elder gives a fine performance, making this one of the most enjoyable Audible books I've heard. Unfortunately, the last quarter of it turned boring. Was ladybird history really needed as a finale? You spend the majority of the book saying it ain't simple then suddenly it is portrayed as simple. Finland? Come on.
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1 person found this helpful