Diary of an MP's Wife: Inside and Outside Power: 'riotously candid' Sunday Times

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In 500-odd pages of deftly edited diary entries covering her observations and conversations during the tumultuous years of 2010 to 2019, she lifts the veil on the doings of a political class that is difficult to like, admire or respect. She seemed somewhat in awe of Samantha Cameron, and also rather jealous of her various business successes.

Nothing about 14 million children in poverty, hospital waiting lists rising, education suffering (except for hose who went to Eton or Cheltenham like the diarist and her chums), or the emergence of a underclass in low paid, vulnerable jobs. Whilst not actually “checking her privilege” as I believe the term is, she was certainly aware of it.New Paperbacks NEW PAPERBACKS [jsb_filter_by_tags count="15" show_more="10" sort_by="total_products"/] A selection of recent paperbacks. The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice.

Sasha Swire was raised and educated in west Cornwall, where her father, Sir John Nott, was MP for the St Ives constituency. There is an acute political intelligence at work, of the sort that makes one wonder what might have been had Swire not settled for experiencing politics vicariously through her husband. She (Sarah Vine, Mrs Gove) being a highly successful and well paid journalist, the profession Sasha was in before giving it up to be an MP’s wife. A professional partner and loyal spouse, Swire has strong political opinions herself - sometimes more 'No, Minister' than 'Yes'. One can only imagine Buckingham Palace’s reaction meanwhile to her observation, following a private dinner with Prince Edward in 2010, that he “seems overwhelmed with relief that the Conservatives have got in”.Her secret diary covers not only the rise and the fall of her friends the Camerons, but also the shenanigans surrounding Brexit and the inexorable rise of Boris, concluding at the end when Sir Hugo (as he was by then) left Parliament. It is 30 years since Hazel Holt's biography; many more since David Cecil and Philip Larkin championed her novels. The author clearly was part of David Cameron’s inner circle and completely in the confidence of her husband throughout his years as an MP and junior minister. We read of parties in Cornwall, dinner parties with the Prince of Wales, shooting parties, Russian oligarch parties, parties with Tony Blair, Rupert Murdoch, and Murdoch's former wife, Wendy Deng. Diary of an MP’s Wife is a searingly honest, wildly indiscreet and often uproarious account of what life is like in the thick of it.