The Power of Politicians

WON BEST MEMOIR BY A PARLIAMENTARIAN IN THE PARLIAMENTARY BOOK AWARDS 2018

The moral and emotional demands on our political class are significant, exposed as they are to the corrosive effects of having to seek and retain power.

Anyone entering politics must confront profound questions to make sense of their individual role, and the institutional role of Parliament itself, in the face of public hostility and indifference.

Through a candid conversation between Frances D’Souza and Tessa Jowell, The Power of Politicians gives fascinating insights into the workings of Parliament and Jowell’s interior life: how she protected herself against moral corruption, what inspired her and what troubled her. The result is a masterclass in how to be a good politician.

TESSA JOWELL was the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood for 23 years. Baroness Jowell also held several major government ministerial and opposition positions, including Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2001-07) and Minister for the Olympics (2005-10).

FRANCES D’SOUZA is a British scientist and life peer, and was Lord Speaker in the House of Lords between 2011 and 2016. Baroness D’Souza was previously a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and the London School of Economics, and was director of the human rights charities Article 19 and the Redress Trust.

CLAIRE FOSTER-GILBERT is the founder director of the Westminster Abbey Institute. A current and former member of numerous ethic committees, Dr Foster-Gilbert has played an instrumental role in the medical research ethics field, and has led efforts to shift the Church’s thinking on environmental issues.

Published in partnership with Westminster Abbey Institute.