The Powers Behind the Prime Minister: The Hidden Influence of Number Ten - Hardcover

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Dr Anthony Seldon is a distinguished political historian whose previous books include the authorised biography of John Major. He is ideally positioned to interview all the living Prime Ministers who have resided at Number 10, as well as their families, to get the true picture of life inside the house. He is the Headmaster of Brighton College.
Dr Dennis Kavanagh is Professor of Politics at Liverpool University.

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In this exclusive and important new book, Dennis Kavanagh and Anthony Seldon reveal for the first time, the truth about Number 10 Downing Street and how successive Prime Ministers have used the house to consolidate their power.

Their ambition is to write a book which is to Number 10 Downing Street what Peter Hennessy’s study was to Whitehall. It will be a close examination of the centre of a British Prime Minister’s power – how successive PMs have wielded power within its walls.

The authors have unprecedented access to contacts within 10 Downing Street who have agreed to speak to them exclusively and for the first time – civil servants, political advisors, secretaries and politicians. They have also talked to every Prime Minister still living. The book will, as a result, contain much controversial material that has never before been disclosed. For example, the chapter on Harold Wilson reveals how bizarre his behaviour became during the course of his second term. The revelations go far farther than either of Wilson’s biographers, Philip Ziegler or Ben Pimlott, to reveal that he was an appalling host, ignored foreign dignatories and important guests in order to gossip with cronies, and discloses his affair with another Downing Street employee other than Marcia Williams.

The book also looks closely at the workings of power within Number 10 and stresses the importance of geography inside the house for access to the Prime Minister, and to information and influence.

'Power and the Prime Minister' will be one of the most important political books of the season and a publishing sensation. It sheds sensational new light on many of our PMs and will be serialised in a national newspaper.