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Kingmaker

Secrets, Lies, and the Truth about Five Prime Ministers

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Kingmaker

By: Graham Brady
Narrated by: Graham Brady
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THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

THE BESTSELLING INSIDER STORY OF WESTMINSTER'S BLOODIEST POWER BATTLES

'Myths are debunked, prime ministers exposed and secrets revealed ... essential' The Times

'Refreshingly honest' The Telegraph

'Entertaining and approachable' The Spectator

David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak. Five prime ministers, one explosive memoir. Kingmaker lifts the lid on the leadership battles that have defined British politics

The last fourteen years have seen turbulence at the centre of politics that is perhaps unique in British history. From coalition to Brexit, Covid to Partygate, Trussonomics to this year's election, our government has never felt so fractured. And as Prime Ministers have come and gone, one man has been at the heart of every leadership challenge, seeing all, but saying nothing. Until now.

Sir Graham Brady was the Chairman of the 1922 Committee since 2010. As the leader of the group with the power to choose a new leader of the Conservative Party, it was his hand that held the executioner's axe over five consecutive Prime Ministers' heads.

Elected to Parliament in 1997 as the youngest Conservative MP in the house, Brady comes from a lower middle-class background and fell into politics age 16 when he joined a campaign to save his grammar school. This book is the story of how a boy from Salford came to be the definitive political insider.

With unique access to every key decision-maker of the past fourteen years, it offers insights into the character and choices of successive Prime Ministers and the administrations they led. Ultimately, it reveals where our most recent leadership failures originate, and asks hard questions about who will be fit to lead us tomorrow. Corruption & Misconduct Political Science Politics & Government Thought-Provoking Leadership
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Critic reviews

'Few memoirs in Westminster have been as anticipated ... No wonder it is titled Kingmaker: it could have been subtitled And Executioner ... Has the immediacy of a diary ... There are plenty of good stories here ... refreshingly honest' (Christopher Hope)
'Awaited with bated breath by political insiders ... Kingsmaker takes a near inverted format to the recent slew of former Prime Minister's autobiographies'
'Deliciously bitchy'
All stars
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Not knowing one thing about politics or how it works this book is an excellent example of how the unseen is seen !!! Sir Graham read the book very well and you can understand what he’s talking about. I would recommend to anybody!!!

Backbenchers

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Whatever you think of Graham Brady's politics, he has the tale of the last decade in the UK, and it's a fantastic story. He comes across as a man of integrity, one of the few during a chaotic time. He's the one constant in the Tory leadership crisis stretching from Cameron to Sunak and has the inside view on everything despite being "just" a backbencher. His role as the head of the "22" committee that ran the election of Conservative leaders (effectively deciding the process in which the next PM was chosen) made him the "Kingmaker" during extraordinary times. This is peculiar to the Tory party and is never likely to be repeated. It's a real bonus that he narrates the book himself.

Thoroughly enjoyable review

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Great book very well put together, I would Highly recommend reading the book, it provides a great insight into the chaos that unfolded

Very interesting to listen to

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A fascinating insight into becoming and being an MP. The story reads a bit too much like a diary but there are some interesting details about a difficult period for the Conservative Party.

Steady wine Drinker

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Well done for coping with all the challenges but you haven’t done enough to support the party unity.
You could have played more roles and take more responsibility and influence colleagues.

Some untrue and rubbish in here

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