Review: 'Confessions of a Recovering MP' by Nick de Bois

Wine gums, foreign trips, angry constituents and the scourge of illegal cigarettes...de Bois book offers a fun overview of the trials and tribulations of a one-time MP.

Synopsis

As a new MP, you walk through the Members Lobby filled with a vision of how you will leave your mark on both Parliament and the nation, exercising your power to improve the lives of the voters. What you are almost certainly unaware of is that your constituents, the government, the press and the very institution of the Palace of Westminster have other plans for you.

So it was for Nick de Bois in May 2010 when, with an unaltered and insecure majority of 1,692, he began the journey of a lifetime, meeting head-on the bizarre, the inexplicable, the touching, the shocking, the vitally important and, thanks God, lots of utter nonsense as well. A humorous, ancedote-filled romp through the corridors of power, Confessions of a Recovering MP exposes the eccentricities of the Mother of all Parliaments, reveals the peculiar demands that come with being an MP, and explains how to return to civilian life when the voters decide your time is up

Overview

This book is well worth a read for anyone with an interest in British politics and the workings of Parliament.

Full of ancedotes, de Bois explains his experiences both within Parliament and within his constituency, and explains how MPs can battle the system to achieve what they can for the voters.

His explanations of both the Party system and the inner workings of Parliament offer an honest insight into a world few ever experience, and it opens up the world of traditions, Parliamentary votes, finding Ministerial support, PMQ`s and Party whips to anyone reading.

Thrown into Parliament as a newly elected MP, de Bois demonstrates the sometimes crazy world of British politics, and the often poor guidance of how the system works - leaving the newly elected to find a place and figure the system themselves.

The anecdotes are often funny, and they really show the trials and tribulations of an MP - such as dealing with unhappy constituents and having to wrangle meetings with Ministers and the PMs - as well as the joys of being able to bring about real change in the laws of the land.

Overall

If you are interested in British politics then this book is well worth a read! Fully of funny ancedotes and fascinating insights into the British political system it is perfect for those wanting to know what our MPs get up to!