This honourable house

Politicians are amongst the most reviled and distrusted of all professionals. Nevertheless, honourable men and women do put themselves forward to help run the country, whether out of conviction, altruism, vanity or ambition. Under pressure - from the electorate, from colleagues, from what Harold Macmillan called 'events' - how can they maintain their integrity? How do they learn to anticipate trouble - and to avoid it? When press and public are increasingly bored with the serious parliamentary debate and prefer 'human interest' stories and sleaze, how can individuals in public office maintain a private life without exposure or disgrace? How might they undermine their enemies - or gain on rivals who get too close - and should they? How do their families and loved ones cope - especially when loyalty is under strain. Edwina Currie's third political novel, after the number one bestselling A PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIR and A WOMAN'S PLACE, opens with an election resulting in a victory for a party not dissimilar to New Labour...