UPDATED WITH A NEW CHAPTER ON THE 2024 ELECTION
A GUARDIAN AND DAILY TELEGRAPH POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR
‘BRILLIANT’ ANDREW MARR
‘MAJESTIC’ GUARDIAN
‘ESSENTIAL’ JON SOPEL
‘A CRACKING READ’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘A SHARP INSIDER ACCOUNT’ NEW STATESMAN
The full inside story of fourteen years of Tory rule, from coalition to self-destruction.
In 2010 David Cameron’s Conservative Party came into power with a promise of stability. Fourteen years and five prime ministers later, the Tories have been swept away, divided and decimated. What went wrong?
From the ashes of a financial crisis to a break from the EU to a global pandemic, prime ministers have changed dramatically while the Tories remained in power. Merciless rebellions and the swift ousting of leaders enabled this, but the same ruthlessness ultimately brought about their downfall. Blue Murder links stories of betrayal in Cameron’s coalition, the travails of May, the sagas of Johnson, the Truss implosion and the Sunak spiral. Through his unique access and unmissable inside stories, Ben Riley-Smith’s thrilling account is essential for anyone wondering how the Tories carved out the political opportunity of a generation and then tore themselves apart.
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE RIGHT TO RULE.
A GUARDIAN AND DAILY TELEGRAPH POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR
‘BRILLIANT’ ANDREW MARR
‘MAJESTIC’ GUARDIAN
‘ESSENTIAL’ JON SOPEL
‘A CRACKING READ’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘A SHARP INSIDER ACCOUNT’ NEW STATESMAN
The full inside story of fourteen years of Tory rule, from coalition to self-destruction.
In 2010 David Cameron’s Conservative Party came into power with a promise of stability. Fourteen years and five prime ministers later, the Tories have been swept away, divided and decimated. What went wrong?
From the ashes of a financial crisis to a break from the EU to a global pandemic, prime ministers have changed dramatically while the Tories remained in power. Merciless rebellions and the swift ousting of leaders enabled this, but the same ruthlessness ultimately brought about their downfall. Blue Murder links stories of betrayal in Cameron’s coalition, the travails of May, the sagas of Johnson, the Truss implosion and the Sunak spiral. Through his unique access and unmissable inside stories, Ben Riley-Smith’s thrilling account is essential for anyone wondering how the Tories carved out the political opportunity of a generation and then tore themselves apart.
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE RIGHT TO RULE.
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Reviews
Marvellous . . . Packed with insight, gossip and candid reflections from the major players
Expertly explains how a governing party mainly skilled in backstabbing survived in power
A wonderfully written canter through an extraordinary decade and a bit. Highly recommended
Future historians will take Ben Riley-Smith's lucid and riveting book as their guide
Colourful and richly researched
Riley-Smith is an excellent, pithy writer with a knack for a telling phrase
A sharp insider account of the long Tory reign
A brilliant encapsulation of thirteen years
Future historians will refer to this study in cynicism and clever reinvention
Riley-Smith is an excellent, pithy writer with a knack for a telling phrase . . . it will remain among the best books written about the chaos and carnage of the last 13 years
A majestic digested read of the last 13 years of Tory leadership, drawing together the threads of fou
An impeccably sourced insider account
Essential
A grippingly-written, detailed book that answers so many questions
Insightful, authoritative and incredibly readable. It had me open-mouthed with amazement
Superb
Terrific. Not all political books are page-turners. This really is. It will be a while before it's bettered. It is really excellent
Filled with chaos, rebellion, infighting, backbiting and catastrophe and much more. Interesting . . . a cracking read