Top UK Politics Books

If you’re looking for a tough but rewarding read this summer, you should look no further than the politics department in most bookshops. Politics books are a little tedious for some people, but if you love finding out everything there is to know about a person or an event, you’ll thoroughly enjoy some of these books:

1– Theresa May: Downing Street Revolution by Virginia Blackburn – She’s most likely going to be our Prime Minister for the next few years at least, so why not take a few hours to get to know the woman in charge. Theresa May has had such an interesting and successful career but we don’t know too much about her as a person. This book should help you to understand the Conservative leader a bit better.

2- The Brexit Club by Owen Bennett – The story behind the UK’s decision to withdraw from the European Union is one roller coaster and the political figures behind it all have such an interesting and dramatic story. Whether you’re remain or leave, this book is unmissable for anyone who wants to know exactly why it was necessary for the UK to have this referendum.

3- The Fate of the West: The Battle to Save the World’s Most Successful Political Idea by Bill Emmott – This book describes how the West came to be as successful as it is today and what we must do in order to make further progress. It looks at liberal democracy on a more global scale which is a great way to understand more about the system.

4- Europe’s Last Chance: Why the European States Must Form a More Perfect Union by Guy Verhofstadt – After Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, it really is only a matter of time before the whole thing collapses unless there is a drastic change. Verhofstadt makes his case as to why we still need an EU but a much better one.

5- Adults in the Room by  Yanis Varoufakis – Varoufakis is a huge name is European politics, and  if you have a particular interest in Greek politics, you will be interested to hear his version of the Brexit story. The former Minister of Finance in Greece is very euro-sceptic but did not agree with the UK’s vote to withdraw from the EU.

6- Independence or Union: Scotland’s Past and Scotland’s Present by T. M. Devine – After the general election, the next big issue could possibly be Scottish independence, as the SNP will most likely press for a second referendum. If you’re Scottish and have no idea which way to vote, this book should be a big help for you.

7- Enemy of the State by Tommy Robinson – You may already know that Tommy Robinson is the leader of the English Defence League. Well this is his story. The formation of all of his controversial beliefs are explained here and you’ll see quite quickly that he hasn’t had the easiest life – he has worked incredibly hard and is not truly the villain that we all think he is.

8- Rebel: How to Overthrow the Emerging Oligarchy by Douglas Carswell – If you’re a true comrade or even just a socialist, you should read this book. Carswell states that politics is always rigged in the best interest of the few and not the many. He tells us how we could one day have a fairer political system that works for the majority of people and not the top 1%.

9- The End of Policing by Alex Vitale – After years and years worth of scandals and inquiries about police brutality, diversity and a whole range of other things, this book provides an insight as to why the way we police the public is no longer effective or suitable for our world. If you were outraged and confused by all of the unjust police shootings that have taken place in the US and the misuse of force by the police, this is a brilliant read.

10- Chavs by Owen Jones – Anyone who is thoroughly angered by austerity and advocates for social justice needs to read this Owen Jones book. He’s written many similar books but Chavs is a great one to start on. He explains the way that working class people try to ‘other’ people and divide their own class.