TPR Recommends... Political Diaries

At bookshops up and down the country, politics sections are generally filled with the diaries and memoirs of former politicians, often aiming to tell their version of history now the bonds of silence are broken. Here, TPR recommends some of the best from the past 10 years, starting with a surprise hit.


Even many political junkies would be forgiven for not knowing who Chris Mullin is. That is, until he released his surprisingly engaging and witty diaries (re-affirming what every viewer of Prime Ministers' Questions knows - the best wit on the benches rarely lies on the front bench). This was the last of Mullin's diaries before he stood down as an MP at the 2010 General Election, but once you get past the book's weight, you'll be gripped and be coming back for the earlier editions. Purchase here.


The role of the Chief Whip is one of the most revered in the House. Caricatured by the media as the party's official bruisers and feared by any new backbencher hoping for a promotion, this book was never going to disappoint. Here, Tim Renton details his time as Chief Whip during the years of John Major's ever-decreasing Parliamentary majority in the first half of the book before turning his attention more generally to the history of the office of the Chief Whip. An under-appreciated account of the turmoils of the Tories last years in office and history of the office who gets the members through the lobbies. Purchase here.


Gyles Brandreth's diaries of his time in Parliament as MP for the City of Chester (1992-7) no longer seem to be in print (well worth a read if you can get hold of them, however) but, in their absence, this is itself a great read. Loathed by some (not least, rumour has it, by those who he represented for 5 years) yet adored by others (by which I mean fans of 'Just a Minute') his literary abilities cannot be denied by either. If ever you're on a long train journey, take the advice of the title of this memoir. You won't be disappointed. Purchase here.

Next time, we turn our focus to a lady who still dominates political debate in the UK more than 20 years after she left office (demonstrated ably by Owen Jones in 'Chavs', the topic of our recent Sunday Review). As you guessed, we'll be reviewing some of the best books on the Iron Lady - her character, her time in office and her undying legacy.