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Butler to the World

How Britain Became the Servant of Tycoons, Tax Dodgers, Kleptocrats and Criminals

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About this listen

The Suez Crisis of 1956 was Britain's 20th-century nadir, the moment when the once superpower was bullied into retreat. In the immortal words of former US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, 'Britain has lost an empire and not yet found a role.' But the funny thing was, Britain had already found a role. It even had the costume. The leaders of the world just hadn't noticed it yet.

Butler to the World reveals how the UK took up its position at the elbow of the worst people on Earth: the oligarchs, kleptocrats and gangsters. We pride ourselves on values of fair play and the rule of law, but few countries do more to frustrate global anticorruption efforts. We are now a nation of Jeeveses, snobbish enablers for rich halfwits of considerably less charm than Bertie Wooster. It doesn't have to be that way.

©2022 Oliver Bullough (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK Social Classes & Economic Disparity Sociology Funny Socialism Taxation Capitalism
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An excellent tour of a wide range of different areas where Britain facilitates and encourages financial crime.

Fascinating but depressing tale of UK's role in modern financial crookery

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I marvel at the discrepancy between how the UK likes to see itself (democratic, abolished slavery, defeated the Nazis, defender of the underdog) and what is exposed in this brilliantly researched and superbly presented book: a butler Britain enabling kleptocrats from around the globe, helping them disguise their misdeeds and hide their ill gotten wealth from their countries of origin and from taxation. This book should be required reading for all MPs and for anyone with political ambitions. Thank you, Oliver Bullough, for bringing this to light. I look forward to going on one of your kleptocracy tours and seeing a new and unfamiliar side of London.

Unputdownable

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Oliver Bullough probably had to prune half a million words from his manuscript in creating this book, because this book is so well researched.

I - for one - am glad that he kept it punchy and pithy. It is packed full of facts, but is accessible, informative and entertaining never losing its tempo or the reader from start to finish.

This book highlights aspects to the Britain that are disappointing, amoral and at odds with the ‘brand’ that we broadcast to the rest of the world.

After reading it, the rhetoric from politicians and some of their decisions finally made sense. I urge people to read this book, because much as we have created ‘Butler Britain’ from the ashes of the old Empire, most of the people I know would be appalled at how it operates and what it enables.

I think people still believe in the British approach to fairness and fair play and that it is ignorance that has let self serving, intelligent and talented people dress up corruption and pull the wool over our eyes.

Maybe I just wearing rose coloured glasses, but I dearly hope not.

It all makes sense now! So very well researched.

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It's hard to take it all in on one read. I'll have to go through it again at some point, but I feel like I've learned a lot about why British financial institutions are a bit rubbish.

Very Informative

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First-class exposé of how the UK is winning the global race to the bottom when it comes to money laundering and double standards - and has been winning it for years.

Not an easy listen for anybody with any affection for Britain, but an essential listen nonetheless.
I will be reading/listening to more by this author.

Excellent, but shocking

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