The Blunders of Our Governments [Kindle Edition]

‘This is an astonishing achievement – that very rare thing, a genuinely original book and an immediately essential guide to the failures of British politics. King and Crewe go deep, without a shred of pomposity or a phrase of false rhetoric. From now on, every political journalist, civil servant and would-be minister needs to start here.’ Andrew Marr, presenter, The Andrew Marr Show

‘One of the mysteries of our political system is how often it fails us, despite the best intentions of politicians and planners. Blunders is an enthralling analysis of how things go wrong and why. It should be every minister’s bedside reading.’ David Dimbleby, presenter, Question Time

‘This book is not only hugely enjoyable, it is also a truly shocking cautionary tale. King and Crewe provide spectacular examples of British misgovernment, from the Suez fiasco by way of the Dangerous Dogs Act and Thatcher’s poll tax to the present day. The cost of such blunders comes not only in billions of pounds wasted but in the enormous amounts of damage caused to public confidence. The lessons are clear. Don’t shuffle ministers every few months. Give parliament time to make legislation effective and understandable. Above all, listen and deliberate.’ Baroness Shirley Williams, leading Liberal Democrat and former Labour cabinet minister

‘Governments don’t usually set out to do wrong. They just do it by mistake. This excellent guide to past cock-ups in policymaking and implementation should be required reading for every aspiring minister and civil servant to ensure that in future they at least make their own blunders instead of repeating those already made by others.’ Jonathan Powell, Chief of Staff to Tony Blair, 1995–2007

‘Everyone makes mistakes. The question is: will we ever learn from them? This is an excellent account of blunders made by successive governments over many years. I am sometimes asked if bankers will ever repeat the mistakes they made in the years prior to 2008. The answer is undoubtedly yes – just as soon as memories fade and the institutional knowledge so vital to any organisation is lost. Most of us have made decisions which looked good at the time but two years later made us cringe with embarrassment.’ Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, 2007–10

‘All governments appear to learn little from the mistakes of their predecessors in translating fine-sounding new initiatives into workable policies on the ground. They ignore the problems of implementation. Anthony King and Ivor Crewe apply their lengthy experience not only to highlighting common patterns in the blunders of recent governments but also, more importantly, to suggesting remedies.’ Peter Riddell, Director, Institute for Government

‘We are all human and few can resist the index of any account of contemporary history to see how we fared. My initial disappointment at such scant recognition for nearly half a century of frontline political exposure was only modified by the memory that this book is about the great blunders of our time! I am lucky to have escaped. This book is a valuable guide from two well-qualified observers to the pitfalls of politics. Will it help new generations to avoid them? Don’t invest your money on it!’ Lord Michael Heseltine, Conservative cabinet minister, 1979–83 and 1990–97

‘A timely and compelling analysis of why we have been so badly governed for the last thirty years’. John Campbell, author of The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher