Speakers: Ivor Crewe, Anthony Seldon

Who wants to be a Macmillan or Blair? 300 years after Robert Walpole became the first Prime Minister of the UK, the title of Anthony Seldon’s new book on the role The Impossible Office? sums up the challenges, while Ivor Crewe’s The Blunders of Our Governments shows that scandal, catastrophe and just plain incompetence are far from party political. Downing Street historian Sir Anthony charts the humanity, frailty and achievements of the 55 individuals to have held the post, from Pitt to Johnson via Disraeli, Wilson, May and more, as well as the changing relationship with the monarchy and the country at large. Called “an astonishing achievement…a genuinely original book” by Andrew Marr, Master of Oxford’s University College Sir Ivor’s collaboration with Anthony King covers three decades of Westminster mishaps and explains why the British political system is quite so prone to appalling mistakes. A unique insight into how we are governed from two experts.