- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Granta Books; illustrated edition edition (6 Mar 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1862078092
- ISBN-13: 978-1862078093
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 632,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Evening Standard
‘A superbly researched, elegantly written mix of investigative journalism and political biography...an entertaining read’
The Independent
‘The unauthorised account of arguably the greatest political corruption scandal in recent British history’
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Gunton Road leads off Upper Clapton Road just north of the Clapton ponds and dips into the Lee Valley towards Leyton. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Gunton Road leads off Upper Clapton Road just north of the Clapton ponds and dips into the Lee Valley towards Leyton. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was aware of the scandals of Westminister City Council under Shirley Porter but nothing prepared me for reading Andrew Hoskens excellent piece of investigative journalism.
The book is readable, coherent and makes the undoubtedly complicated shenanigans of the Porter Regime reasonably easy to understand if not exactly a pleasure to read (there is nothing pleasurable about Shirley Porter!) and it is absolutely enthralling. The most gob smacking thing about the book is it captures the pitiful attitude of full time council officials and conservative councillors which varys from denial of reality to enthuasticaly joining with Porter in her mendacious and nefarious activities.
The image of the Porter regime as a business orientated, efficient and modern administration which was much peddled prior to her exposure is utterly destroyed in this book. The way she dealt with homeless people including housing them in abestos blighted tower blocks ought to have landed her in jail in any civilised society. There are countless other examples of her machinations which were linked to her desire to get the "right kind of people" in to guarantee her electoral victory at the next council elections.
If there is any weakness in the book it is the broader picture of the scene nationally which seems to me to be a bit flat, and it repeats much recieved wisdom about the 1980s political scene in Britain. That is a small quibble about an otherwise excellent, comprehensive and comprehensible book that ought to be compulsory reading for councillors and anyone who has a serious interest in democracy in this, or any, country.
The book is readable, coherent and makes the undoubtedly complicated shenanigans of the Porter Regime reasonably easy to understand if not exactly a pleasure to read (there is nothing pleasurable about Shirley Porter!) and it is absolutely enthralling. The most gob smacking thing about the book is it captures the pitiful attitude of full time council officials and conservative councillors which varys from denial of reality to enthuasticaly joining with Porter in her mendacious and nefarious activities.
The image of the Porter regime as a business orientated, efficient and modern administration which was much peddled prior to her exposure is utterly destroyed in this book. The way she dealt with homeless people including housing them in abestos blighted tower blocks ought to have landed her in jail in any civilised society. There are countless other examples of her machinations which were linked to her desire to get the "right kind of people" in to guarantee her electoral victory at the next council elections.
If there is any weakness in the book it is the broader picture of the scene nationally which seems to me to be a bit flat, and it repeats much recieved wisdom about the 1980s political scene in Britain. That is a small quibble about an otherwise excellent, comprehensive and comprehensible book that ought to be compulsory reading for councillors and anyone who has a serious interest in democracy in this, or any, country.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book represents a triumph of investigative journalism and should be required reading for every student of politics and for anyone considering entering the local political scene. It deals with a great and shameful stain on British politics.At the time of Dame Shirley Porter's machinations, I had been too busy to pay very much attention to what had gone on in the City of Westminster but I knew something of the scandal and was intrigued by it. In retirement, I have been able to study the matter and am delighted that the now deceased Shirley Porter received some of - if not her just - deserts for her machinations and gerrymandering while in office at Westminster. I believe that the subsequent changes in Local Government might preclude such activities and I hope that local government officials are less lily livered than those to be found within the book's pages. The book brings credit, I feel, only to its author and to the Local Auditor of the time. I suggest that a pen and paper are kept to hand while reading "Nothing Like a Dame", in order to keep track of who was he or she and what office he or she fulfilled - they change with dizzying rapidity !
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This very extensively researched and yet effortlessly readable book is a model of what investigative journalism should be. Faultlessly neutral and politically unbiased throughout, Andrew Hosken, a Radio 4 journalist for the Today programme, looks into the scandal raised by gerrymandering at Westminster City Council back in the 80s and 90s of the last century. Shirley Porter, a disaster as a politician with no notion of how local government works, is exposed as a liar, a bully and perhaps the most corrupt politician of the century. Hosken pieces together how Porter and her craven officers decided to make Westminster forever Tory by manipulating the political complexion of the boroughs of the city. She gave the orders and it was her idea, but she was helped by the nature of local government at the time which found it impossible to prevail against her regime of fear, procurement and preferment. It is an astounding story.
Yet Hosken is not a character assassin and Dame Shirley remains a human and fallible figure, albeit one who was unable to recognise that democracy transcends mere party-political interests.
Yet Hosken is not a character assassin and Dame Shirley remains a human and fallible figure, albeit one who was unable to recognise that democracy transcends mere party-political interests.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The most corrupt politician in the history of British local government
Hosken does the world a favour by reminding us all of how putrid the Conservatives can be when given the chance. Read more
Published 6 months ago by PygmyTwylyte
Tories never change their spots
An immensley readable story about a truly grotesque woman. However, the weakness of the book is that it presents Porter as just that - a corrupt individual, who drove the council... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Red not Dead
Gripping story of pride and downfall during the High Tory period
If you love to be outraged by corrupt Tories, you will love this book. This tightly-written story of Porter's rise to power, the unbelievable actions she took in pursuit of her... Read more
Published on 26 July 2007 by Bolandini
a reminder of where the 'loonies' really were.
An excellent read, and tidy reminder of an absurd period of our recent history. Anyone who didn't live through Westminster in the eighties should read this. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2006 by rennej
Doing the unthinkable.
In this book, Andrew Hosken does the unthinkable - he makes local government interesting.
Though councillors and wards and district auditors may people off normally,... Read more
Though councillors and wards and district auditors may people off normally,... Read more
Published on 11 May 2006 by C. Wood
utterly absorbing account of corruption in the capital city
Andrew Hosken was the BBC reporter who discovered where Shirley Porter's missing millions were, a feat that had eluded Westminster Council for years. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2006
Nothing Like a Dame
As someone who was actually a part of this period of history, particularly that part associated with the Walterton and Elgin Estate, I was not in the least bit suprised by this... Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2006
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