5 Days in May
The Coalition and Beyond
Published on 7. May 2013
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-1-84954-566-2 (ISBN)
Description
In the wake of the inconclusive May 2010 general election Lord Adonis and other senior Labour figures sat down for talks with the Liberal Democrat leadership to try to persuade them to govern Britain together in a Lib - Lab coalition. The talks ultimately resulted in failure for Labour amid recriminations on both sides and the accusation that the Lib Dems had conducted a dutch auction, inviting Labour to outbid the Tories on a shopping list of demands. Despite calls for him to give his own account of this historic sequence of events, Adonis has kept his own counsel until now. Published to coincide with the third anniversary of the general election that would eventually produce an historic first coalition government since the Second World War, 5 Days In May is a remarkable and important insider account of the dramatic negotiations that led to its formation. It also offers the author's views on what the future holds as the run-up to the next election begins. 5 Days in May presents a unique eyewitness account of a pivotal moment in political history.
Reviews / Votes
Revelatory and quietly shocking. The Guardian Details with breathless energy the plotting, late - night phone calls and the desperately fading hopes of Brown's government from inside Number 10 - Fascinatingly candid - Adonis's description of the hectic negotiations is absorbing for its detail and the palpable sense of chaos at the heart of the British establishment - Flashes of irony and slapstick - Convincing book by a man generally more interested in ideas than tribal loyalties - This book may prove to be his most important work. The Telegraph If anyone is going to spend five days inside the head of anyone, Adonis is a good candidate. He is intelligent, moderate and nice. The Spectator A West Wing-style thriller. New Statesman [An] invaluable book on the negotiations that led to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. The Observer This is a political thriller with a twist. Times Literary Supplement It is a book full of anger, recrimination and justice...But this adds to the interest as the words crackle with barely concealed rage. Total Politics 'as gripping as any Dan Brown page-turner.' Choice Magazine 'Without a doubt the political book of the summer, alongside Charles Moore's Thatcher biography - As both a tell-all (it's peppered with key details about Labour front benchers) and an examination of coalition governments, it makes for a compelling read. Unsurprisingly, Nick Clegg doesn't come off well.' GQ '[T]here is a revelation on almost every page of Adonis's book.' The Independent 'All Adonis' books are important, and now is the time to read one.' Independent on Sunday " [It] challenges conventional wisdom about the forming of the coalition. Anyone who might be near the leadership of the Labour Party in 2015 needs to read this now."Independent on Sunday "An inside account of how the coalition was formed [ - ] It is advice the Labour leader would be wise to take." New StatesmanMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84954-566-2 (9781849545662)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
ANDREW ADONIS was an architect of education reform under Tony Blair. He went on to become Transport Secretary under Gordon Brown. He is the author of Education, Education, Education.