Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Politics on the Edge
- A Memoir from Within
- Narrated by: Rory Stewart
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
Politics on the Edge
Buy Now for £16.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
From the former Conservative Cabinet minister and co-presenter of 2022's breakout hit podcast The Rest is Politics, a searing insider's account of ten extraordinary years in Parliament
Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister - before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.
Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow and inadequate our democracy and government had become. Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today.
Stewart emerged battered but with a profound affection for his constituency of Penrith and the Border, and a deep direct insight into the era of populism and global conflict.
Politics On the Edge invites us into the mind of one of the most interesting actors on the British political stage. Uncompromising, candid and darkly humorous, this is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life; a new classic of political memoir and a remarkable portrait of our age.
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Politics on the Edge
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Thalia
- 16-09-23
So good I immediately listened to it a second time!
I found this a fabulous book despite the fact I’m left of centre. If only our politicians who are still in politics could come across as people in their own right and talk to the general public as if they were individuals and having a conversation rather than delivering a message. So sad to see so many treating politics as being a career at the expense of their own constituents.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- L. Craven
- 08-10-23
Brilliant
Absolutely loved this. Really drives home the ridiculousness of our system- the way that a diligent and hardworking politician could be utterly thwarted by party politics and almost a wilful negligence of leaders in not allowing any areas of expertise to be utilised fully. Also love the various ‘voices’ Rory uses to really bring the conversations within to life. If more people like Rory were allowed to lead, we would not be in the mess we’re in right now.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Graham N
- 18-09-23
Unputdownable
Rarely am I so captivated by such a long piece of non-fiction. It feels like I’ve barely taken my headphones out in the last 48 hours.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 17-10-23
Really excellent
An amazing insight into uk politics and someone who is duty before all else, well ready, even the dodgy accents were great as it gave a moment of humour. Well done!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- jackie
- 21-10-23
Very interesting and amusing
I really enjoyed this, Rory Stewart had me chuckling at his accents and impressions and some parts of the book made me laugh out loud. It’s an interesting insight into parliament, although in this day and age I think we all know our government stinks so it doesn’t shock or surprise. I came away thinking this was a normal person, naive to government, who really wanted to change things but unfortunately realised that he was surrounded by arrogant and incompetent people in a massive machine which just spat him out.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 19-09-23
Brilliant
Finding out parliament is not to dissimilar to a playground. It’s solidified the reasons our UK is no longer what it used to be. We’ll written and clear story telling.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Al_ D
- 28-09-23
wish more memoirs were this good
and more politicians too. it's a shame this kind of person isn't rewarded by our power structures
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simon McNally
- 05-10-23
Fascinating and informative
Rory's account of his time in politics is truly eye opening and a must listen for anyone who wishes to learn more about our political institutions.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amelie
- 17-10-23
Really good & reflective
Good book, listened to it in a week. Really liked his reflective and honest account of what he remembers - would be great to see how it chimes with other reports like this, were they to be written and published…
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matthew Smith
- 22-10-23
An utterly captivating read
There are moments that will leave you frustrated, enraged and aghast at state of our political systems and the sometimes villainous individuals it rewards. But Rory demonstrates how an MP can be flawed, but decent. He doesn't claim to be a model politician, but the commitment and consideration he clearly demonstrated as a constituent MP and minister of state is obvious. I imagine many see Rory as a dangerously naïve disruptor. However, the irony is that this comes from being a honest and dedicated servant. Unfortunately, this book doesn't have the answers. By Rory's own admission the influence of policy seems largely centralised to No.10. After reading this book, it's incredibly difficult not to imagine how better off our country would had Rory come through the conservative contest and won.
Also, Michael Gove is a deceitful weasel and should be nowhere near public office.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!