The Abuse of Power cover art

The Abuse of Power

Confronting Injustice in Public Life

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Abuse of Power

By: Theresa May
Narrated by: Theresa May
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £21.54

Buy Now for £21.54

Former Prime Minister Theresa May exposes the abuse of power by public institutions and politicians in a series of riveting first-hand accounts from her time in office.

As Prime Minister for three years and Home Secretary for six years, Theresa May confronted a series of issues in which the abuse of power led to devastating results for individuals and significantly damaged the reputation of, and trust in, public institutions and politicians. From the Hillsborough and Grenfell tragedies, to the Daniel Morgan case and parliamentary scandals, the powerful repeatedly chose to use their power not in the interests of the powerless but to serve themselves or to protect the organisation to which they belonged.

The Abuse of Power is a searing exposé of injustice and an impassioned call to exercise power for the greater good. Drawing on examples from domestic and international affairs she was personally involved in at the highest level, including Stop and Search and the Salisbury Poisonings, the former prime minister argues for a radical rethink in how we approach our politics and public life.

(P)2023 Headline Publishing Group Limited©2023 Theresa May Corruption & Misconduct Elections & Political Process Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government Women in Politics Thought-Provoking Inspiring
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

So boldly different it creates a mini-genre all of its own . . . This is a pleasant surprise: a genuinely unusual, bold and important book. You can't say that of many political memoirs (Andrew Marr)
Fascinating and crisply written . . . That May has more seriousness and commitment than the average politician . . . means she has a better chance to fix some of those burning injustices this book shows she is clearly still worried about (Isabel Hardman)
The book will reinforce the view that May was a politician of conviction and compassion. (Robert Shrimsley)
Very interesting... I strongly agree with the central message of [the] book...that we need a sense of moral compass in politics... Put together it's pretty shocking... Terrifying as an account of what's wrong in the British state
Often political writing focuses on soap opera and personalities. But personalities - as Theresa May knows better than most - come and go. Structures remain. May's account of how public institutions wield their power and avoid accountability is an admirable attempt to draw our focus in the right direction
A serious-minded study of scandals in which vulnerable people were failed by those in authority
All stars
Most relevant
considering she was in positions of power and overseeing lots of these abuses of power, it might be time to look in the mirror and reflect..

bit of a cheek

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Word's of wisdom. For political community, should be compulsory reading. Much to learn from.

Much appreciated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A book that really makes you think about how we should all conduct ourselves throughout our lives and how we conduct ourselves can have unintended consequences

awesome book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Although I am not a Conservative voter, I always believed that Theresa May had integrity and was dedicated to the service of others. People can learn from her example.

One of my most highly respected person

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A thoroughly engaging and enjoyable account of events as experienced by Mrs May. Very well narrated. I do hope she has more to tell as this was very insightful without pointing fingers.

Insightful and Engaging

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews