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9th out of 16 books
—
7 voters
A View from the Foothills: The Diaries of Chris Mullin
by
Chris Mullin
Alan Clarke meets Yes Minister in this wry and self-deprecating diary about life in the New Labour Government from 1999 to 2007. Says Mullin, 'It is said that failed politicians make the best diarists. In which case I am in with a chance.'Chris Mullin has been a Labour MP for twenty years. In that time he has not been afraid to criticise his party. But despite his refusal...more
Hardcover, 448 pages
Published
March 2nd 2009
by Profile Books Ltd.
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The proposer said that he had chosen it as it was a book he had been unable to put down. He was aware this might be because he had a particular interest in politics, but he hoped that the book might have proved to be of wider interest.
He felt the book worked at several different levels:
- there was the story of Mullin as an individual, his hopes and fears, from the beginning to the end of his Ministerial career. He had an attractive personality – honest, modest, self-deprecating, sharp but also n...more
He felt the book worked at several different levels:
- there was the story of Mullin as an individual, his hopes and fears, from the beginning to the end of his Ministerial career. He had an attractive personality – honest, modest, self-deprecating, sharp but also n...more
Diaries can be fascinating - none more so than my own - and I am a sucker for contemporary ones like this. Chris Mullin is, on his own perception, a second tier politician of the Blair Years ("The Man") and this is his account of his tenure. It was revealing and brought new insights on people like John Prescott, Gordon Brown, Mandleson and the rest, along with a real view into how parliament works. Or doesn't, more to the point. His life is "Yes Minister" without the humour or "In the Loop" with...more
A great insight into the tedium of being a junior Minister by a lively and honest writer who seems to have retained his honesty despite being (relatively) close to power. Ironically a supporter of "The Man" Blair despite being aware of his failings, his Ministerial live not surviving the arrival of Brown as PM. I would recommend this to anyone interested in British Politics. I particularly relished his commitment to protect his family from the absurd pressures of Ministerial life. I also enjoyed...more
A Member of Parliament has many allegiances: to his constituents, his constituency party, his national party, his parliamentary party - and to himself. The vote on the Iraq War presented Chris Mullin with a fundamental dilemma. He was opposed to the war, so were many of his constituents. But the whips were leaning on him. Defeat was a possibility for his party. Where then should his loyalty lie? To his credit, he cast the solitary Labour vote against. To his relief, it did not result in defeat....more
If volume 1 was good, this was even better. I suspect Mullin took a number of years to get going as a diarist, but it was worth the wait. As with most politicians, he is delightfully gossipy, devasting with a barb, generous with praise.
Reading his frustration of being a minor pawn to ministers who refused to let anything go (Prescott, Meacher) was enightening. Someone was reaching up to the height of his ambition, but they were let down by the reality of every job's drudgery. He was happy pursui...more
Reading his frustration of being a minor pawn to ministers who refused to let anything go (Prescott, Meacher) was enightening. Someone was reaching up to the height of his ambition, but they were let down by the reality of every job's drudgery. He was happy pursui...more
An an insiders view of life as a Labour MP and, at times, as a junior Minsiter (transport and environment/Africa) this is a compelling read. The diary format is easy to dip in to - and that had been my intention - but I found I was hooked and could spend many hours reading; it's not a slimline book! The inner working of government are fascinating: Mullin has a particular dislike for the poorly written speeches he was expected to deliver; the excesses of Ministerial cars and the fact that, as a J...more
This book gives a good insight into the Labour government post 1997. He gives us some of the day to day stuff as well as the big divisive issues, such as the Iraq war. His perspective is interesting because he straddles the backbench and demonstrates the necessary self restraint needed to be a part of government. The lowly junior ministerial role is shown to be little more than a sham, as he has little or no power to affect even quite small areas of policy. Towards the end of the book we see tha...more
Mullin alternates between cynical and movingly earnest. Sometimes he has so much self-doubt that the reader wonders why he is an MP at all. Reading between the lines though, it is clear he doesn't really believe that he is a failed politician, as he labels himself. His encounters with asylum seekers and children in Africa show that he did make a difference despite everything.
It is fascinating that he actually names names, nearly all the time. It is rare to be able actually to read what those i...more
Dec 27, 2011
David Board
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone looking for a frank and compassionate account of the Blair years.
A great 'alternative' account of the Blair years. Full of humour, gripping excitement and poignant moments of both horror and joy. This book managed to inspire in me equal amounts of hope and despair with our elected representatives. Despair at the media obsessions, pointless activity, African atrocities, America etc.
Hope that politicians like Chris Mullin still exist. In fact, if there is any message I took away from this book, it is that most politicians are actually much more principled, cari...more
Hope that politicians like Chris Mullin still exist. In fact, if there is any message I took away from this book, it is that most politicians are actually much more principled, cari...more
I'm torn on this. On the one hand I quite enjoyed reading from the perspective of a low-level minister in the New Labour government. Many of the frustrations that one expects to exist when faced with massive bureaucracy and the tyranny of career civil servants are there and there is something appealing about quietly venting one's spleen and having preconceptions confirmed. This is an interesting memoir due to his brushes with those who once held some sort of real power. It is reasonably well wri...more
A very engaging political diary - Chris Mullin charts his rise (and fall) to the foothills of power in New Labour under Tony Blair. It's a bit of an eye-opener to the workings of Westminster, and particularly the civil service - his dissatisfaction with the speeches he was given to deliver was a recurring theme, as was the tendency of those at the top to make decisions without consultation.
Chris Mullin himself comes across pretty well - he is self-deprecating and prepared to admit his own shortc...more
Chris Mullin himself comes across pretty well - he is self-deprecating and prepared to admit his own shortc...more
Brilliant.
I picked this up because I remember the reviews were great, and had seen quite a few people on the train reading it (not always a sign of quality, but still..) A fascinating account of the Blair years.
This really is a book for politics nerds, but it is very readable nonetheless. Lots of funny moments, such as his descriptions of John Prescott, battles with the civil service to avoid using the ministerial car, and sharing a bottle of Listerine with John Major.
I picked this up because I remember the reviews were great, and had seen quite a few people on the train reading it (not always a sign of quality, but still..) A fascinating account of the Blair years.
This really is a book for politics nerds, but it is very readable nonetheless. Lots of funny moments, such as his descriptions of John Prescott, battles with the civil service to avoid using the ministerial car, and sharing a bottle of Listerine with John Major.
The Chris Mullins book arrived in the post so I started reading the opening pages and was quickly hooked. Not only is it mesmerisingly accurate about the ODPM (the dept where he was minister) but in general about New Labour. So many little incidents, like the invitee-only 'Listen to Older People' event in which ministers deliver long speeches then leave before answering questions.
On the way the Dept works, it struck me that nothing much has changed since Crossman wrote his diaries. The way that...more
On the way the Dept works, it struck me that nothing much has changed since Crossman wrote his diaries. The way that...more
Oct 22, 2011
Harry Rutherford
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
autobiography,
non-fiction
The first of the Chris Mullin diaries about life in government, which I'm reading out of order having read the second volume first. Again, a fascinating insider's view of the workings of government, and the personalities of the New Labour politicians. I think I've read enough, now, though, I was starting to feel like it was coming up against the law of diminishing returns by the end. I don't think I'll bother to read the third one.
This is probably a very effective way of inoculating oneself against any desire to go into politics - the first 150 or so pages during which Mr Mullin is the 'Minister for Folding Deckchairs' (his term) in John Prescott's vast 'Department of Things and Stuff' (my term) especially.
Interesting too for the semi-insider's view it presents of the much talked about run-up to the Iraq war and for seeing what an MP *really* thinks of the constituents he has to pretend to sympathise with.
Interesting too for the semi-insider's view it presents of the much talked about run-up to the Iraq war and for seeing what an MP *really* thinks of the constituents he has to pretend to sympathise with.
Very interesting given the comments and the whole hackgate scandal of now.
Now finished, fascinating view of what its like to be in government. Staggering the amount of conversations had on trains! Worrying how ineffectual it all would appear to be.
Will read his other diary soon. Not to be read if you believe government is well run and tidy with everyone on top of their jobs!
Now finished, fascinating view of what its like to be in government. Staggering the amount of conversations had on trains! Worrying how ineffectual it all would appear to be.
Will read his other diary soon. Not to be read if you believe government is well run and tidy with everyone on top of their jobs!
A timely moment to be reading about the New Labour years as they finally draw to a close. Chris Mullin's an excellent writer, and gives a wonderful glimpse into the life of a Junior Minister and backbench MP. He was a pretty exemplary example of both, which also makes this a great book to read if you think that all of our representatives are awful, out for themselves, and as bad as each other.
Unfortunately, he's stood down at the most recent elections, but there are others in the house as good...more
Unfortunately, he's stood down at the most recent elections, but there are others in the house as good...more
As good a political memoir as I can remember reading.
Elegantly written, with subtle humour threaded throughout, this backbencher / sometime minister's chronicle of the early 21st century under the rule of New Labour is in many ways more revealing of the way in which the country was governed than Blair's own diaries of the same era.
Looking forward to the second volume...
Elegantly written, with subtle humour threaded throughout, this backbencher / sometime minister's chronicle of the early 21st century under the rule of New Labour is in many ways more revealing of the way in which the country was governed than Blair's own diaries of the same era.
Looking forward to the second volume...
A fascinating look behind the scenes of British politics. Largely confirming all my worst fears. Very readable, often funny. Can't help feeling some of it must have been rewritten with the benefit of hindsight, surely Mullins can't have been right about every issue and personality every time?!
Entertaining view of the Blair government. Mullin has a great writing style, is very self deprecating, and maintains a likeable scepticism to the government he formed part of. Almost worth an extra star for the appearance of a friend on one page towards the end.
Good book, useful notes for an aspiring minister/politician.
Humanity and dedication came through, as well as frustration about life as a junior minister.
Considered that more powerful as a select committee chairman, than as a junior minister.
Humanity and dedication came through, as well as frustration about life as a junior minister.
Considered that more powerful as a select committee chairman, than as a junior minister.
We look forward to hearing Chris Mullin speak about his diaries in Chagford, Devon in March 2013 at the ChagWord literary festival.
See http://www.chagword.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
See http://www.chagword.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
An interesting insight into aspects of a political life at Westminster - rather more accessible than some of the other recent diaries, and told with refreshing candour.
Interesting and amusing. I'm reminded (a little) of Clive James' comment on the Crossman Diaries - were they "grippingly boring or boringly gripping".
This diary is fascinating and offers many examples of issues that could have been dealt with back in the early 2000s but were ignored - including MPs' expenses and concerns about Gordon Brown's leadership style. Also illustrated quite clearly is the misery of being a junior Minister in a Government Department in which he had no interest - in this case the Department for the Environment. But the most thought-provoking aspect from the diary was the link, or lack of it, between Government policy an...more
Brilliantly funny political diary 2000 – 2005 from a Labour Minister. As good, but not as smutty as Alan Clarke’s.
a story of how being in power can prevent you from getting stuff done
Great Insight into what "ordinary " politicians go through
An excellent insight into the world of Labour politics during the first period of Tony Blair's Premiership. Chris Mullin writes very well, with self-deprecating humour, and a deep sense of humanity. He gave me a feeling of "I wish he was my MP" as well as "I wish he'd had more influence in Government". I'm looking forward to reading the next instalment "Decline and Fall" which is on my Tablet waiting for a rainy day. Highly recommended!
Fascinating read - bit long. Finally got through it having read many other books in between.
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