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The Abuse of Power

Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781035409914

Price: £12.99

ON SALE: 23rd May 2024

Genre: Literature & Literary Studies / Prose: Non-fiction

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‘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’ Rory Stewart on The Rest is Politics: Leading

As Prime Minister and Home Secretary, Theresa May came face-to-face with a series of issues in which the abuse of power led to devastating results for individuals and significantly damaged the trust in public institutions and politicians. From the Grenfell tragedy to parliamentary scandals, the powerful repeatedly chose to act not in the interests of the powerless but in ways that served themselves.

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, the former prime minister argues for a radical rethink in how we approach our politics and public life.

‘A serious-minded study of scandals in which vulnerable people were failed by those in authority’ Guardian Best Politics Books of 2023

‘The book will reinforce the view that May was a politician of conviction and compassion’ Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times


‘A valuable read’ Charlotte Ivers, Times Best Politics and Current Affairs Books of 2023

Reviews

The book will reinforce the view that May was a politician of conviction and compassion.
Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times
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, i Newspaper
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, The New Statesman
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
Rory Stewart on The Rest is Politics: Leading
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
The Times Best Politics Books of 2023
A serious-minded study of scandals in which vulnerable people were failed by those in authority
Guardian Best Politics Books of 2023

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