Simon Hoggart – författare

In 1977 Prime Minister James Callaghan and Liberal leader David Steel struck a constitutional deal, by which the Labour government could survive a vote of no confidence and get its business through Parliament, while the Liberals gained access to the anterooms of power.The Pact, a contemporaneous account of the hatching and workings of the 'Lib-Lab' deal of 1977-8, is an invaluable time-capsule of British politics but also a pointer to its future. Coalition government has oft been scorned in Britain, since - as Alistair Michie and Simon Hoggart note - the main parties regard their opponents chiefly as 'targets off which points may be scored'. But hung parliaments and inter-party deals, as revived in May of 2010, may be back to stay.This new edition of The Pact, in memory of its co-author Simon Hoggart (1946-2014), includes new prefaces by David Steel, Roy Hattersley, and the journalist Stephen Bush.

Simon Hoggart has long been admired as one of our leading commentators on modern life. His memoirs encompass his radio career, most notably as chair of the News Quiz, his life as a journalist and as an observer of the people he has met along the way.A Long Lunch is both funny and quirky, whilst also being full of wisdom and insight.During his career, Simon has met every British prime minister from Harold Macmillan onwards. His memoirs will divulge what Alan Clark thought about Melvyn Bragg, what really happened at the Lady Chatterley trial, what Cherie Blair said to Simon and how he riposted, how John Sergeant drove an air stewardess to a raging fury and much more. From drunken episodes behind the scenes at the House of Commons to unexpected meetings in TV green rooms, Simon Hoggart both entertains and delights.

Every Christmas, unwanted round robin letters, stuffed with news of young Chloe's nauseating excellence at - well - everything, the announcement of Janet's cousin's husband's friend's divorce, or the details of Terry's colonoscopy, accumulate on doormats. One day, Simon Hoggart decided to do something about it.He mercilessly presented the most eye-popping examples of such letters in his bestseller, The Cat that Could Open the Fridge, and followed it up with The Hamster that Loved Puccini, hoping he had put a stop to them. And yet the letters, booklets and photo-montages kept on coming. So here, to drive home his message, The Round Robin Letters brings together his two collections in an anthology that will have everyone choking with laughter on their Christmas pudding.