Iain Dale, MD of Biteback Publishing, has acquired world rights to How to Lose a Referendum: The Definitive Guide to Brexit by Sky News senior political correspondent Jason Farrell and politics teacher and blogger Paul Goldsmith.
In this definitive story of the most controversial referendum result in modern British history, Farrell and Goldsmith explore the decisions that led to Britain’s departure, from the creation of the EU after the Second World War to David Cameron’s renegotiation in 2016. They provide in-depth historical context to the decision, analyse campaign strategy through interviews with key players, and identify the key reasons why the UK made its choice, probing the social fabric of the UK, the psyche of the electorate and the set of political circumstances that worked against the Remain camp.
Iain Dale said: ‘How to Lose a Referendum provides unprecedented historical context to the Brexit result. I am delighted to be publishing Jason Farrell and Paul Goldsmith’s brilliant explanation of this defining moment in our political history.’
Jason Farrell said: ‘I just remember the adrenalin – and it coursed through the whole of Westminster – when the result hit us like a train. Brexit was the biggest political story of my life – and there I was trying to make sense of it immediately, for a sunrise report on Sky News by 6 a.m. What on earth just happened? And I knew the only way to answer that question was to write a book.’
Paul Goldsmith said: ‘As a teacher I had been examining the history of the EU to discuss it with my pupils and I’d concluded the referendum was lost the moment it was called. Jason thought it was lost during the campaign. We argued and both threatened to write books about it. Then it dawned on us: why not argue the toss in a book together? Both of us think the referendum was lost, rather than won. The question is: how did it happen?’
How to Lose a Referendum will be published in June 2017 to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Brexit vote and will be supported by a major press campaign.
Jason Farrell is a senior political correspondent for Sky News. He has twice been shortlisted for the Royal Television Society’s Specialist Journalist of the Year Award. He travelled with David Cameron to European summits during his pre-referendum renegotiations, followed Boris Johnson on his campaign trail through the UK and was at the Leave.EU event with Nigel Farage on the night of the referendum.
Paul Goldsmith is a politics and economics teacher at Latymer Upper School in west London and a political blogger. His election blog, www.pjgoldsmith.com, was been read by over 100,000 people, including leading journalists from the BBC, ITN and Sky News who were covering the campaign.
For more information please contact isabelle.ralphs@bitebackpublishing.com or call 020 7091 1260