"They all promise you everything, then turn up with a barrel full of mud."
Politicians don't exactly enjoy a positive image. Anger about the people in power is often understandable, but many of these low opinions seem all-inclusive. Can it really be true that all politicians everywhere are lying, corrupt, inept and cowardly?
Campaigner and former councillor Tracey Hill broadens the question to include the many thousands serving as local politicians. In this wry, entertaining book she draws from hotly debated local issues as well as the big national topics to illustrate the barriers this universally negative image throws up between politicians and the people they represent.
She also explores the reasons behind it: the disconnect between voters' expectations and the power of politicians to deliver, the impact of unremittingly negative news coverage, and the dangers of a desire for simplicity which can be so beguiling.
Condemning every politician damages democracy because it fails to distinguish between good politicians and bad. This lets people off the hook, achieving the opposite of what many critics set out to do, and creates a toxic political discourse which makes society vulnerable to the false promise that things might work better without elected representatives at all.
"A great dissection of the contradictions, frustrations and obstacles of politics. Key observations include the lack of space for nuance and context in political communication, the importance of ambitious, stretch targets, and the conflict between local and citywide responsibilities. I've always said there are a dozen different and conflicting views in every street I've doorknocked. This is the kind of book that should be required reading in PSHCE lessons, or indeed for anyone wanting to write a letter of complaint to the local paper!"
Warren Morgan, Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council 2015-2018
