Power Trip: A Decade of Policy, Plots and Spin

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From 1999 to 2009, Damian McBride worked at the heart of the Treasury and No10, becoming one of the most controversial political figures of the last decade, before a notorious scandal propelled him onto the front pages and out of Downing Street. In Power Trip he writes candidly about his experiences at the heart of government, and provides the first genuine insider's account of Gordon Brown's time as Chancellor and Prime Minister. He reveals the personal feuds, political plots, and media manipulation which lay at New Labour's core, and provides a fascinating, funny, and at times shocking account of how government really works. His own journey from naive civil servant to disgraced spindoctor is also laid bare with brutal honesty. Power Trip is a riveting memoir and an eye-opening expose of politics in Britain.

Reviews

"The essential political book of the year." Benedict Brogan, The Daily Telegraph "Current Affairs Book of the Year: This devastatingly forthright account of McBride's years as Gordon Brown's spin doctor and attack dog is the best book I have read all year." Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times 'McBride can write, certainly. His account of his continuing adventures after the publication of the first edition of Power Trip is entertaining - And McBride's honesty about his past misdeeds is disarming.' The Independent 'It is utterly gripping. I found it enjoyable and appalling in almost equal measure.' Ruth Davidson, The Scotsman

Author Bio

Damian McBride was born in North London in 1974, the youngest of four brothers. He was educated at Finchley Catholic High School and read history at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He joined HM Customs and Excise as a fast stream civil servant in 1996, and moved to the Treasury in 1999. In 2003, he became the Treasury's Head of Communications, reporting directly to Gordon Brown. After the 2005 election, he left the civil service to become the Chancellor's political adviser, a role he maintained when Brown became Prime Minister in 2007. He was sacked in April 2009 after emails from him emerged planning a smear campaign against senior Tory politicians. His proceeds from sales of this book will go to the Finchley Catholic High School fundraising appeal.