All in it Together: My Five Years as a political stalker

by Ann Treneman

In this uproarious collection, Ann Treneman, the caustic and witty parliamentary sketch-writer for The Times, tells the true, unvarnished story of Britain’s first coalition government since the Second World War. As well as the headline acts – David Cameron and his Flashman alter ego, Nick Clegg’s struggle to stop looking sad, Ed ‘Two Kitchens’ Miliband’s heroic attempts to relaunch himself – she was there to see UKIP shed its fruitcakes, the Speaker be compared to a dwarf, and the Greens go surge-tastic. With an eye for the absurd, an ear always attuned to the jargon junkies of politics, and a nose for what’s really going on underneath the talk, Ann Treneman chronicles the events that everyone in Parliament would much rather forget: the AV referendum; the chaos of the tuition-fee vote; the Omnishambles Budget; the train wreck that was Lords reform; the dramatic Syria vote; and, of course, the panic-stricken campaign over the Scottish Neverendum. Floods, horsemeat, badgers and bile, it’s all here – a tragicomic coalition tale. ‘Gorgeous George’ Osborne may have said ‘we’re all in this together’, but now they really are – in this hilarious book.

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2015

Reviews

[Øivind G]

I love the British tradition of political sketchwriting, and the Times' sketchwriter Ann Treneman, together with the late Simon Hoggart of the Guaridan, is one of my absolute favourites.

This book is a selection of sketches from the five years of Tory/LibDem coalition in the UK, and with her sharp and witty pen, Ann Treneman observes British political life and politicians in a fun, sometimes hilarious way. Sketches cover topics such as the "wedding ceremony" of Nick and Dave in the Number 10 garden, the omnishambles budget, the Scottish referendum on independence, Angela Merkel's visit to the UK, the Ed Stone and the surprise Conservative victory in this year's election, all masterly described with that special twist which a good sketchwriter has. A book well worth reading for anyone interested in British politics and who has a sense of humour.

[David Brown]

A collection of her best political sketches - before she foolishly made the move to theatre reviews, which doesn't seem to suit her as well - outlining the highs and lows of a coalition that seems like an age away. Dipped in and out of - which is why it has taken so long to finish it - still learned almost as much about the coalition as I did reading David laws mammoth effort!