BiteBack Publishing

I was going to make this post about how kind the Independent have been to us recently, Matt Chorley’s feature on How to be in Opposition, John Rentoul’s blog about Prime Minister’s Who Never Were, and then yesterday this cropped up, another review of Francis Beckett’s book by Sean O’Grady.

The marketing and publicity team look positively glory stricken. And as far as I know, all this is not the result of an affair! Mind you, that would be a bit cheap – wouldn’t it?

Yesterday was also Lord Tebbit’s birthday. We at Biteback concur with Edward Leigh MP’s view put forward in the Chamber that a “bicycle draped in the Union flag” should be erected in his honour. Hence the tribute title to this blog, it’s late, I know, but still it’s the thought that counts. And it comes also as thanks for the wonderful things Lord Tebbit had to say for the cover of our book The Prime Ministers Who Never Were:

“It has long been said that the largest political club is that of the past ‘future Prime Ministers’, to which Francis Beckett has nominated fourteen of us in this book. He reminds us that the course of the ship of state is neither pre-ordained nor decided solely by the Captain, but by the sea, the wind and those who set the sails. We who might have once taken command may feel we would have headed for a different destination, steering a new course with a differrent crew, but the wind and the weather, or even the passengers, might have dicated events.

We know what really happened, but that was scarcely more likely than what might have been, and these speculations are perhaps more than just fun. They give us food for thought.”

Food for thought, says Lord T; tantalising says Sean O’Grady:

“…the idea of Norman Tebbitt succeeding Thatcher in 1989, beating the IRA and walking away from Europe is capable of sending a shiver down the spine, even at this distance of time and reality. Tantalising indeed.”

If you need food for thought and tantalisation in your life, we have it in such droves here that we are literally, (and I mean literally – I get in trouble from the Senior Editor here for saying literally and not literally meaning it… wait, what?) giving it away. Email me with just 100-150 words on who would be your Prime Minister who never was. Be as creative as you like. And email me your ideas at katy.scholes[at]bitebackpublishing.com – there are still copies up for grabs!

Or if you simply can’t get your creative juices flowing, buy your copy now for £12.99.

Incidentally, Jonathan Isaby – whose blog on ConHome alerted us to Lord Tebbit’s birthday – is a contributor to another of our upcoming books, So You Want to be a Political Journalist, I know what you’re thinking, we must know everyone! You’re not wrong.