Saturday, October 19, 2019

The five best books to decode the language of politics

Jess Phillips is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley since 2015. She is the author of Truth to Power: 7 Ways to Call Time on B.S.

At the Guardian, Phillips tagged five of the best books about parliament and the life of working politicians, including:
[T]here is no work of literature that reflects better the political language I grew with than The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾. This wild and extended family talked of politics in the way my family did in the Thatcher era. Political books are so often written from the perspective of the politicians, not from the point of view of the people. Sue Townsend’s books are overtly political and represent the language of my constituents better than any lofty diary ever could. As Adrian says: “Mrs Thatcher has got eyes like a psychotic killer, but a voice like a gentle person. It is a bit confusing.”
Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue