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Get In

The Sunday Times Bestselling Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer

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Get In

By: Patrick Maguire, Gabriel Pogrund
Narrated by: Matthew Spencer
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Brought to you by Penguin.

Get In is the definitive behind-the-scenes account of Labour’s brutal reinvention and dramatic return to power under Keir Starmer.


From electoral wipeout in 2019 to landslide victory in 2024 and on into Labour’s first hundred days in government, Get In is a blistering narrative exposé of the most significant and ruthless political transformation in a generation. At its heart is Morgan McSweeney, a mastermind of political subterfuge and author of a strategy, years in the planning, to eviscerate the party, bury the left and rebuild it as a vote-winning machine. In Starmer he saw the perfect vessel for his vision: a man with no political identity but burning with ambition and a single all-consuming principle: to win.

Drawing on unrivalled access throughout the party and extensive leaks of internal party documents and WhatsApp messages, Get In shows how together they betrayed and marginalised Corbyn and his followers, then forged a path in which promises, and at times principles, were readily discarded in pursuit of power. From the near-fatal experience of Beergate to the furore over Israel and Gaza and Labour’s chaotic entry into government under Sue Gray, we are in the room as colleagues considered Starmer's future, as Angela Rayner fought back against demotion and struggled to prove herself in the eyes of the British establishment, and as the leader’s inner circle repeatedly crushed their opponents inside and outside of the party.

Richly peopled with the major figures of Labour present and past, as well as those who were pulling the strings of power out of sight, this is the coming-of-age story of Britain's government and a parable for the politics of our times: in an era in which faith in politics has plummeted, this is how to game your way to the ultimate prize. But what on earth do you do when you get there?

'The book about Keir Starmer we have all been waiting for. It is impossible to fully understand this government unless you read it' TIM SHIPMAN

‘Fast-paced . . . cutting one-liners . . . it reads as if the authors were alongside McSweeney and Starmer’ Jason Cowley, Sunday Times

'Extraordinarily detailed and sometimes bloodstained' Tom Baldwin, Guardian


© Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Elections & Political Process Europe Great Britain Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government Heartfelt Government Middle East
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Critic reviews

Gripping, exhaustively researched and fast-paced . . . cutting one-liners . . . nuanced character studies . . . scenes are recreated novelistically . . . it reads as if the authors were alongside McSweeney and Starmer as they grappled with multiple crises (Jason Cowley)
The compelling story of how one intensely motivated man grabbed control of a broken party, eviscerated its left and ruthlessly reforged Labour into a power-hungry machine . . . extremely well-sourced . . . dramatic detail . . . a rattling tale terrifically well told (Andrew Rawnsley)
Fascinating . . . devastating . . . full of lively stories . . . this is certainly a book you need to read to understand this government (Andrew Marr)
Unsparing . . . Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund’s brilliant new history of Labour’s path back to power . . . [contains] so many golden nuggets . . . on almost every page . . . it gives you a depth and richness to understanding the tensions within the Starmer Project (Michael Gove)
Revealing . . . pacy . . . dispassionate but informed . . . a cracking read (Robert Shrimsley)
A remarkable piece of journalism (Rory Stewart)
Impeccably written, impeccably researched, impeccably sourced (Lewis Goodall)
There are revelations on virtually every page of this addictive and compelling book... Maguire and Pogrund are impressive political journalists' (Steve Richards)
Maguire and Pogrund . . . fish out the juicy niblets and scoops . . . revealing . . . [a] compelling account of what it took for Labour to get back, get in — and what it will require to stay there (Anne McElvoy)
Pogrund and Maguire . . . bring it all to life . . . If you have questions about Starmer’s budding reign . . . expect many of them to be answered (Kara Kennedy)
All stars
Most relevant
Really interesting details throughout the book about those now running our country. I fully recommend.

Absolutely fascinating

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Excellent insights to recent vents played out live, well worth a read with left out

Stunning victory and change of a party and Shambles in power as expected

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Salacious in parts, but this narrative is generally public.

Three core points stand and they are in the first chapters. Morgan McSweeny is the puppet master; Starmer is dull, somewhat effective, hell bent on winning but unprincipled; third - labour has managed to mainly surprise the radical left.

If you follow politics closely I’m not sure you will take too much extra away. Starmer is aloof from politics, but focused on winning. Lots of politics happens inside of politics and many people in politics are unhappy / political.

Inside scoop, much known on the outside

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A must read for anyone that wants to know how Corbyn was ousted from the Labour Party and how Starmer was groomed for leadership. It reveals the awful vipers nest that consumes Labour politics and why it pursues ideology rather than promoting simply what is best for the country. It reveals why Starmer couldn’t run a bath let alone govern a country, but manages to do so because of his ruthless amoral attitude to wanting to be and then being Labour leader. Everyone should read this to understand why Labour should never be allowed near the levers of power - and why British politics needs to find a credible alternative to the current Labour government. And the book shows that Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s Chief of Staff after Sue Gray was removed, is brilliant - and ruthless - as an organiser and someone who gets a job done. If only the Conservatives had an equivalent…

Brilliant exposé of Labour politics!

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Short on actual Starmer personality traits rather than the workings of inner cabinet & management style

Morgan McSweeny

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