Cover 158 original

A political adviser to the formidably intellectual Foreign Secretary Tony Crosland and to Prime Minister Jim Callaghan, and a senior journalist at The Times and The Economist, David Lipsey has been close to the heart of government for more than four decades. Providing a unique perspective on a period of great economic and political upheaval, In the Corridors of Power details such flashpoints as the 1976–77 IMF crisis, which saw Britain under a divided government hovering on the edge of national bankruptcy, and reveals why Jim Callaghan ducked an election in 1978 – and led Labour to disastrous defeat in 1979.
But Lipsey is no one-dimensional policy nerd. Here we see a man who moves easily from the rarefied atmosphere at the core of government to the more down-to-earth pleasures of the greyhound track and the racecourse betting ring, while his enthusiasm for harness racing is such that he has regularly competed in the sport.
It is often said that the very best political books come from those who observe from behind the scenes, rather than from the politicians in the front line. Here is a classic of the genre.


Reviews

This book is a little gem...honest, wry, amusing and beautifully written

Austin Mitchell MP , The House Magazine

a great read...full of crisp, insightful comments on the policy issues of the last forty years

Lord Toby Harris

a stimulating memoir, balancing an honestly self-critical account of a varied life

Roger Liddle, Progress Online
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  • eBook
  • ISBN: 9781849544290
  • 28 June 2012
  • £17.99

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