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Kingmaker

Secrets, Lies, and the Truth about Five Prime Ministers

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About this listen

 THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

THE BESTSELLING INSIDER STORY OF WESTMINSTER'S BLOODIEST POWER BATTLES

'Myths are debunked, prime ministers exposed and secrets revealed ... essential' The Times

'Refreshingly honest' The Telegraph

'Entertaining and approachable' The Spectator

David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak. Five prime ministers, one explosive memoir. Kingmaker lifts the lid on the leadership battles that have defined British politics

The last fourteen years have seen turbulence at the centre of politics that is perhaps unique in British history. From coalition to Brexit, Covid to Partygate, Trussonomics to this year's election, our government has never felt so fractured. And as Prime Ministers have come and gone, one man has been at the heart of every leadership challenge, seeing all, but saying nothing. Until now.

Sir Graham Brady was the Chairman of the 1922 Committee since 2010. As the leader of the group with the power to choose a new leader of the Conservative Party, it was his hand that held the executioner's axe over five consecutive Prime Ministers' heads.

Elected to Parliament in 1997 as the youngest Conservative MP in the house, Brady comes from a lower middle-class background and fell into politics age 16 when he joined a campaign to save his grammar school. This book is the story of how a boy from Salford came to be the definitive political insider.

With unique access to every key decision-maker of the past fourteen years, it offers insights into the character and choices of successive Prime Ministers and the administrations they led. Ultimately, it reveals where our most recent leadership failures originate, and asks hard questions about who will be fit to lead us tomorrow.©2024 Graham Brady (P)2024 Bonnier Books UK Corruption & Misconduct Politics & Government Thought-Provoking Leadership
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The Westminster Insider podcast featuring Brady’s interview about this book contains the same level of insight at only a fraction of the listening time.

Light on detail

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A very moving account of our recent times by Sir Graham Brady, who comes across as a more humane politician with integrity in our troubled times.

Likes the Audible version for his mimicking David Cameron and Boris Johnson!

Factual Account of our troubled Governments Of recent times

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Sir Graham comes over a both genial and sensible, which is he bearing when ever I saw him. A grown up in the room but also someone who was expedient about politics in general. He has overseen some astonishing times and seems to have come away broadly happy but with a pretty negative personal view of what public service really means and how politics today’s makes everyone a liar for a cause. A man of certain principles but also a pragmatist is what I took from this excellent book. He probably could have been a good man to have on the front benches more I suspect.

Fabulous read

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Kingmaker gives new insights into a political period many of us are familiar with, from David Cameron to Rishi Sunak. However, Graham Brady's perspective is a unique view from the heart of Westminster. Fascinating and well-written.

Interesting and enjoyable

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Brady had a front row seat to some very interesting political events, and tells the stories with good detail. However, whilst the subtitle suggests that the five PM’s are the focus of this book, they generally play second fiddle to Brady himself who, from listening to him, is a symbol of probity, morals and logic.

Interesting anecdotes, Brady doesn’t miss a chance to brag

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