Where Did I Go Right?: How the Left Lost Me

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'Few people walk the line of thought provoking and laugh out loud funny like Geoff Norcott.' - Romesh Ranganathan

'Where Did I Go Right? is sharp, considered, insightful, and helped me make sense of "the other side". And because Geoff Norcott is so funny, it unfortunately means I can't dismiss his views entirely. It's so important to have a friend you can disagree with but still admire and Geoff can be that friend to you!' - Katherine Ryan

"I've always thought the benefit of having batsh*t parents is it increases the chance of you growing up funny. It's certainly worked for Geoff Norcott." - David Baddiel

"Brave... and vividly evoked. [...] 'How the left lost me' is a phrase that should haunt Kier Starmer et al. Looking at the collapse of the 'red wall', at the last election, there do seem to be a lot of disgruntled Geoffs out there." - The Telegraph

"While I stand firmly at the other end of the political spectrum, it provided fascinating and well-considered insights into how the half think and, as such, should be read by both Reds and Blues." - Love Reading UK

'Voting Conservative is like buying a James Blunt album: loads of people have done it, but weirdly you never meet them ...'

Comedian Geoff Norcott should have been Labour through and through. He grew up on a council estate, both of his parents were disabled, and his Dad was a Union man. So, how was it that he grew up to vote Tory?

In this courageously honest and provocative memoir, Geoff unpicks his working-class upbringing and his political journey from left to right. Raised by a fierce matriarch and a maverick father on a South London council estate where they filmed scenes for The Bill, Geoff spends his youth attempting to put out kitchen fires with aerosols and leaping in and out of industrial skips. But as he reaches adolescence, his political views begin to be influenced by major events including the early 90s recession, the credit crunch, and a chance encounter with Conservative PM John Major.

As an adult, Geoff begins to have the gnawing feeling that the values and traditions he grew up with no longer match Labour's. And, as Brexit appears, he feels even more like a double agent operating behind enemy lines.

Written with warmth, wit and often laugh-out-loud humour, Where Did I Go Right? is Geoff's attempt to understand why he ended up voting 'for the bad guys', and why blue-collared conservatism could be here to stay.

Praise for Geoff Norcott:

'A mature, sharp take on modern politics' - The Sunday Times

'Gently abrasive, but that's what makes him so entertaining... with a sharp, self-knowing wit' -The Times

'Geoff Norcott genuinely has something original to say' - New European

'A refreshingly brilliant new comedic voice' - Spectator

'Norcott is an out-and-out rebel' - Express

Writer and comedian GEOFF NORCOTT is well known for his TV work on Question Time, Live At The Apollo, Backstage With Katherine Ryan, Late Night Mash, Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You among many others. He also fronted his own documentary How The Middle Classes Ruined Britain for BBC2.

A regular on Radio 4 he's known for his specials, including Right Meaning But Well Meaning (which won the 2019 BBC Radio & Music Award). Geoff often appears on Times Radio and is also the host of the popular podcast What Most People Think. As a stand-up he has performed several successful national stand-up tours, including his most recent show I Blame The Parents in 2021/2022.

His first book Where Did I Go Right?: How The Left Lost Me was published in May 2021 by Monoray.