Tom Egerton – författare

'The leading authority on our contemporary prime ministers' Dominic Grieve, GuardianThe 2024 General Election was the Conservatives' worst ever defeat: their lowest vote share in modern history and smallest parliamentary contingent since 1832. As Boris Johnson's crumbling majority turned to rubble and Nigel Farage's Reform marched into the vacuum, a question hung over British politics that would once have seemedabsurd: is this the end of the Tories as an independent force?From inheriting Liz Truss's collapsed premiership - the pound in freefall, the bond markets and Conservative Partyin revolt - through the domestic battles over the Rwanda Asylum Plan and the agenda-dominating wars in Ukraine and Gaza, to the crushing 2023 local elections, Sunak's time in Downing Street was one of unrelenting turbulence and hard choices. Could a more naturally political or commanding leader have steadied the ship?Was Sunak ultimately sunk by the chaos he inherited, or by his own ill-fated indecision? And as Kemi Badenoch attempts to rebuild and Keir Starmer is already out the door, does any path back to power remain?Drawing on unparalleled access to Sunak's inner circle, and exclusive interviews with Cabinet ministers and senior officials, Anthony Seldon and Tom Egerton offer the definitive account of a premiership that began in crisis, and was never able to fully escape it.

After fourteen years of Conservative government, we rightly ask what changed for the better or worse during this prolonged period of power? The country experienced significant challenges including austerity, Brexit and Covid: did they militate against the government's making more lasting impact? Bringing together some of the leading authorities in the field, this book examines the impact of Conservative rule on a wide range of economic, social, foreign and governmental areas. Anthony Seldon, Tom Egerton and their team uncover the ultimate 'Conservative effect' on the United Kingdom. With powerful insights and fresh perspectives, this is an intriguing study for anyone seeking to understand the full scope of the Conservative government's influence on our nation. Drawing the immediate lessons from the last fourteen years will be pivotal if the country is to rejuvenate and flourish in the future.