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22 Days in May is the first detailed Liberal Democrat insider account of the negotiations which led to the formation of the Lib Dem/Conservative coalition government in May 2010, along with an essential description of the early days of the government.

David Laws was one of the key Lib Dem MPs who negotiated the coalition deal, and the book includes his in-depth, behind the scenes, account of the talks with the Conservative and Labour teams after the General Election, as well as the debates within his own party about how the Lib Dems should respond to the challenges and threats of a hung parliament.

This is an essential account of a historical sequence of events, and the personalities involved, that changed the face of British politics.

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Reviews

David Laws has copious notes of interminable meetings to rely on, which means his account has the ring of authenticity. It’s a brisk, rewarding read that makes you feel more participant than spectator. It also catches the milling chaos of the time, the imperative that a deal be done in – yes! – the national interest, because the cabinet secretary and governor of the Bank of England were dancing jigs of anxiety just off stage.

Peter Preston, The Guardian

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Buy this book

  • Paperback, 336 pages
  • ISBN: 9781849540803
  • 15 November 2010
  • £9.99

  • eBook
  • ISBN: 9781849540872
  • 22 October 2010
  • £8.99

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5 Days to Power
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After the Coalition
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