UPDATED WITH A NEW CHAPTER ON THE 2024 ELECTION

A GUARDIAN AND DAILY TELEGRAPH POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR

'BRILLIANT' ANDREW MARR
'MAJESTIC' GUARDIAN
'ESSENTIAL' JON SOPEL
'A CRACKING READ' FINANCIAL TIMES
'A SHARP INSIDER ACCOUNT' NEW STATESMAN

The full inside story of fourteen years of Tory rule, from coalition to self-destruction.

In 2010 David Cameron's Conservative Party came into power with a promise of stability. Fourteen years and five prime ministers later, the Tories have been swept away, divided and decimated. What went wrong?

From the ashes of a financial crisis to a break from the EU to a global pandemic, prime ministers have changed dramatically while the Tories remained in power. Merciless rebellions and the swift ousting of leaders enabled this, but the same ruthlessness ultimately brought about their downfall. Blue Murder links stories of betrayal in Cameron's coalition, the travails of May, the sagas of Johnson, the Truss implosion and the Sunak spiral. Through his unique access and unmissable inside stories, Ben Riley-Smith's thrilling account is essential for anyone wondering how the Tories carved out the political opportunity of a generation and then tore themselves apart.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE RIGHT TO RULE.

About the Author
Ben Riley-Smith is the Daily Telegraph's Political Editor. He has spent a decade at the paper covering politics in the Scottish Parliament, Westminster and Washington, DC. He has interviewed the last five prime ministers and covered the elections and referendums that have shaped recent British politics first hand. He has been shortlisted twice for political journalism at the British Journalism Awards.

Reviews
A brilliant encapsulation of thirteen years -- Andrew Marr
Essential -- Jon Sopel
A grippingly-written, detailed book that answers so many questions -- Isabel Hardman
Insightful, authoritative and incredibly readable. It had me open-mouthed with amazement -- Ed Balls
Superb -- Evan Davis
Marvellous . . . Packed with insight, gossip and candid reflections from the major players -- Stephen Bush
Expertly explains how a governing party mainly skilled in backstabbing survived in power -- Michael Portillo
A wonderfully written canter through an extraordinary decade and a bit. Highly recommended -- Chris Mason
Future historians will take Ben Riley-Smith's lucid and riveting book as their guide -- Alan Johnson
Colourful and richly researched -- Rafael Behr
Riley-Smith is an excellent, pithy writer with a knack for a telling phrase -- Daily Telegraph
A sharp insider account of the long Tory reign -- New Statesman
Terrific. Not all political books are page-turners. This really is. It will be a while before it's bettered. It is really excellent -- Matthew d'Ancona
Filled with chaos, rebellion, infighting, backbiting and catastrophe and much more. Interesting . . . a cracking read -- Financial Times, 'Readers' Best Books of 2023'
Future historians will refer to this study in cynicism and clever reinvention -- Daily Telegraph, 50 Best Books of 2023
Riley-Smith is an excellent, pithy writer with a knack for a telling phrase . . . it will remain among the best books written about the chaos and carnage of the last 13 years -- Daily Telegraph
A majestic digested read of the last 13 years of Tory leadership, drawing together the threads of fou -- Guardian, Best Politics Books of the Year
An impeccably sourced insider account -- Financial Times



Book Information
ISBN 9781399810319
Author Ben Riley-Smith
Format Paperback
Page Count 464
Imprint John Murray Publishers Ltd
Publisher John Murray Press
Weight(grams) 349g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 126mm * 36mm