When a devoted prime minster has a second chance at romance, he discovers that love is love on Downing Street. Captain Tom Southwell has swapped bullets for babies and works as a manny at one of the world's most famous addresses. Behind the doors of Downing Street, he cooks dinner, puts the children to bed and is the prime minister's best friend. Alex Hart is the prime minister Great Britain's been dreaming of. He's dedicated, caring and has a conscience. He's also a widower with two small children. The last thing he can let himself do is fall in love with the manny who has held his family together. When an old flame from Tom's past gets in touch, Tom's first instinct is to keep him at arm's length, but hell hath no fury like a yoga teacher scorned. As Alex fights to push a life-changing bill through Parliament, the tabloid vultures are circling. With rumors swirling about the prime minister and his gorgeous manny, every shark in Westminster senses blood. Will Alex put love ahead of duty, or will the most important man in the country be the loneliest, too?

The gripping and immersive historical thriller from the author of Witchfinder, based on the true events of a scandalous blackmail plot hidden in the shadows... 'A compelling story of power, passion and intrigue based on real events. A terrific read' NICK ROBINSON, BBC Today presenter 'A wickedly entertaining tale of political chicanery' DAILY TELEGRAPH ___________ London 1929. Very much not a land fit for heroes. Frenchie knows his occasional work for MI5 serves only the ruling classes. But he needs to feed his children. Scruples died in the trenches. When Ramsay MacDonald, Britain's first Labour Prime Minister, is blackmailed by a former lover, Frenchie must go to Paris to buy her silence. It is clear there are many people who would see MacDonald fall - the Conservatives, their friends in the press, even some of his own colleagues. But his own secret service? When Frenchie hears the other side of the story, everything changes. ___________ 'If le Carre needs a successor, Williams has all the equipment for the role' TIMES Literary Supplement Books of the Year 'Spy tradecraft of the old school, with no computers, fast cars or mobile phones, but not a whit less exciting for that. Highly recommended as both a spy story and a piece of social and political history' Shots Magazine

When Joe tells a local news reporter exactly what he would do if he were leader of the country, the video goes viral and Joe's speech becomes famous all over the world! Before long, people are calling for the current leader to resign and give someone else a go . . . and that's how an ordinary boy like Joe ended up with the most extraordinary job. Now the fun can really start . . . Hats for cats! Pet pigs for all! Banana shaped buses! Swimming pools on trains! A hilarious story of one boy's meteoric rise to power!

The importance of the Prime Minister in British foreign policy decision-making has long been noted by historians. However, while much attention has been given to high-level contacts between leaders and to the roles played by the premiers themselves, much less is known about the people advising and influencing them. In providing day-to-day assistance to the Prime Minister, a Private Secretary could wield significant influence on policy outcomes. This book examines the activities of those who advised prime ministers from Winston Churchill (1951–55) to Margaret Thatcher during her first administration (1979–83). Each chapter considers British foreign policy and assesses the influence of the specific advisers. For each office holder, particular attention is paid to a number of key themes. Firstly, their relationship with the Prime Minister is considered. A strong personal relationship of trust and respect could lead to an official wielding much greater influence. This could be especially relevant when an adviser served under two different leaders, often from different political parties. It also helps to shed light on the conduct of foreign policy by each premier. Secondly, the attitudes towards the adviser from the Foreign Office are examined. The Foreign Office traditionally enjoyed great autonomy in the making of British foreign policy and was sensitive to encroachments by Downing Street. Finally, each chapter explores the role of the adviser in the key foreign policy events and discussions of the day. Covering a fascinating 30-year period in post-war British political history, this collection broadens our understanding of the subject, and underlines the different ways influence could be brought to bear on government policy.

This newly researched biography presents an intimate picture of Stephen Gladstone, the previously ignored son of Prime Minister William Gladstone, whose life was tormented by the expectations and interference of his father, his mother Catherine and his sister Mary. This wide-ranging book sets his fascinating character, caught between duty and self-doubt,firmly in its historical context, tracing his progress through the horrors of a nineteenth-century prep school, his thirty-two years as the reluctant and restless Rector of Hawarden, his mysteriously acquired final incumbency and the desolating personal effects of the First World War.

The gripping inside story of Gordon Brown’s rise to become Prime Minister.

In the Accidental Prime Minister, Joe Perkins was trying to save his local park when he accidentally ended up being Prime Minster. In this hilarious sequel, Joe is back. The people need someone to remind them about the good things in life; about how we can all come together to make the world a better place. Where there is grumpiness, may we bring giggles, where there is jelly, may we bring ice-cream, and where there are chairs, may we bring whoopee cushions! Joe Perkins, first kid PM, is back and ready to make politics fun again