When David Cameron and Nick Clegg stepped out into the rose garden at No. 10 to launch the first coalition government since the Second World War, it was amid a sea of uncertainty. Some doubted whether the coalition could survive a full term - or even a full year.Five years later, this bold departure for British politics had weathered storms, spending cuts and military strikes, rows, referendums and riots.In this compelling insider account, David Laws lays bare the inner workings of the coalition government from its birth in 2010 to its demise in 2015. As one of the chief Lib Dem negotiators, Laws had a front-row seat from the very beginning of the parliament. Holding key posts in the heart of government, he was there for the triumphs, the tantrums and the tactical manoeuvrings.Now, he brings this experience to bear, revealing how crucial decisions were made, uncovering the often explosive divisions between and within the coalition parties, and candidly exploring the personalities and positions of the leading players on both sides of the government.Honest, insightful and at times shocking, Coalition shines a powerful light on perhaps the most fascinating political partnership of modern times.

About the Author
David Laws was the Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil from 2001 to 2015. He helped negotiate the historic Lib Dem-Conservative coalition in 2010, and briefly became Chief Secretary to the Treasury before resigning due to the disclosure of his parliamentary expenses claims. He later returned to government as a Minister of State for Schools and then to the Cabinet Office. He is co-editor of the highly influential The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism and author of the bestselling 22 Days in May: The Birth of the Lib Dem-Conservative Coalition.

Reviews
"There are few - even from within my own party - whose inside story of the 2010-15 coalition I would trust more than David Laws's." - Matthew Parris; "David Laws has written what deserves to become the definitive account of the 2010-15 coalition government. It is also a cracking good read: fast-paced, insightful and a must for all those interested in British politics." - Paddy Ashdown; "These memoirs are terrific, everyone should read them." - Peter Hitchens; "Crisply written [...] Laws is a wry, thoughtful observer" - The Times; "Packed with remarkable verbatim accounts of the arguments between the men at the top: David Cameron, George Osborne and Nick Clegg." - Sunday Times; "This is an impressive work. A lucid, engaging mix of anecdote and forensic detail, it has a fair claim to become, at least for the foreseeable future, the definitive account of the UK's first postwar experiment in coalition government." - The Observer; "[Combines] almost unrestricted levels of access with his unparalleled attention to detail to produce a convincing account of a historic term in office." - Total Politics; "An honest, thorough and thoughtful account of life at the heart of the last government." - Standpoint



Book Information
ISBN 9781849549660
Author David Laws
Format Hardback
Page Count 384
Imprint Biteback Publishing
Publisher Biteback Publishing