The best political books to read right now

‘A remarkable insight into a critical moment. Hart’s wit and tolerance makes his record of a system in crisis all the more convincing and troubling.’ Rory Stewart

‘Politics in the raw, and all the better for it.’ Jack Straw

The last governing Conservative Chief Whip, and one of the few to last an entire premiership, reveals all in this political memoir. An MP from 2010 to 2024, Simon Hart had a front row seat for the Brexit negotiations, Liz Truss's forty-nine days and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and became Chief Whip under Rishi Sunak. In a first-of-its-kind extraordinary look at life in the role, Ungovernable is a revealing, real-time, blow-by-blow account – offering a glimpse of what truly goes on in Westminster behind closed doors.

'Funny, whipsmart and devastating. Sanity on steroids.' Emily Maitlis

Why does nothing work properly anymore? We can't get a GP appointment, we get burgled and nothing's done, our rivers are full of sewage, no-one can afford anything. Why is everything going wrong at the same time? In Failed State, Sam Freedman, one of Britain's leading policy experts, offers a devastating analysis of where we’ve gone wrong – and it's much more complicated than 'dysfunctional politicians'. With historical depth and plenty of infuriating examples, he explains why British governance has fallen so far behind. Speaking to politicians of all stripes, civil servants and workers on the frontline, this book bursts with insight on the real problems that are so often hidden from the front pages. 

'Ardern’s insightful and inspiring memoir challenges old definitions of strength and power by emphasizing the urgency of compassion and kindness. World leaders have a lot to learn from her timely and important perspective.' Melinda French Gates

To describe Jacinda Ardern as trailblazer is no exaggeration. When she became New Zealand's fortieth Prime Minister she was the world's youngest female head of government, and only the second to give birth in office. Her compassionate yet powerful response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, resulting in swift and sweeping gun control laws, demonstrated her remarkable leadership, and she went on to command global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges – a volcanic eruption, a major biosecurity incursion, and a global pandemic – while advancing visionary new polices to address climate change, reduce child poverty, and secure historic international trade deals. In this deeply personal memoir, she tells her remarkable story.

'A genuinely page-turning, gripping account of some of the most extraordinary days in modern British history. Very well sourced, this is a book historians will be turning to for a long time to come. The fall of emperors often seems a more interesting theme than their rise; Seb Payne triumphantly confirms it.' Andrew Marr

Boris Johnson was touted as the saviour of the country and the Conservative Party, obtaining a huge commons majority and finally getting Brexit done. But within three short years, he was deposed in disgrace, leaving the country in crisis. Sebastian Payne, Whitehall Editor for the Financial Times, tells the essential behind-the-scenes story, charting the betrayals, rivalries and resignations that resulted in the dramatic Conservative coup and set in motion events that saw the party sink to catastrophic new lows.

'A brutally honest account of power, politics race and class.' David Olusoga

In 2016, Marvin Rees made history as the first mayor of Black African heritage elected in a major European city, guiding Bristol through Brexit, Covid, the cost of living crisis, and the fall of the Colston statue. His path from a mixed-race son of a Jamaican father and white single mother to political leadership included boxing, studying history and politics, becoming a journalistt for the BBC, and losing his first mayoral election. Let's See What Happens chronicles Rees's journey, illustrating how his failures and diverse experiences shaped his leadership. This memoir offers a candid and inspiring look at one of British politics' most charismatic figures.

'A great accomplishment . . . A wonderful reflection of an extraordinary sweep of history.' Barack Obama

Angela Merkel’s memoir Freedom offers an unprecedented look into the life and mind of one of the world’s most influential leaders. Spanning her childhood in East Germany, the seismic events of 1989, and her sixteen-year tenure as Germany’s Chancellor, this deeply personal account reveals the experiences that shaped her steadfast leadership. Co-written with her long-time advisor Beate Baumann, Merkel reflects on her rise in a reunified Germany, navigating national and global crises, and working alongside the world’s most powerful figures. This memoir is both a compelling personal journey and a vital exploration of what it means to lead.

'The product of rich reporting on the ground . . . Payne tells many stories of many places and people with affection and respect, to weave a picture of the changing political fabric of England.' Laura Kuenssberg

Labour could once rely on the red wall – the vote in the Midlands and the North of England – but in 2019 the region swung to the Conservatives, and Labour's grip was broken. Through interviews with local people and with major figures such as Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson, Payne gets to the core of this key political upheaval by exploring the reasons for this dramatic change in the political landscape of the United Kingdom, from Brexit to the changing nature of work.

Long before he was an MP and podcaster, Rory Stewart crossed Afghanistan on foot. The country had just been invaded by the US, caught between hostile nations, warring factions and competing ideologies. Only with the help of an unexpected companion, and the generosity of the people he met on the way, did he survive to report back on his journey with unique insight on a region closed to the world by twenty-four years of war. 

'A marvellous book . . . a devastating narrative.' Simon Jenkins

By September 2003, six months after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the anarchy had begun. Rory Stewart, then a young British diplomat, was appointed as the Coalition Provisional Authority's deputy governor of a province of 850,000 people in the southern marshland region. There, he and his colleagues confronted gangsters, Iranian-linked politicians, tribal vendettas and a full Islamist insurgency. This is the inside account of the attempt to rebuild a nation, the errors made, the misunderstandings and insurmountable difficulties encountered. It reveals an Iraq hidden from most foreign journalists and soldiers, a rare and compelling insight that remains just as important today.