Who Runs Britain?: ...and who's to blame for the economic mess we're in - Softcover

Peston, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 034099326X ISBN 13: 9780340993262

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2009

Synopsis

'A compelling portrait of early 21st century casino capitalism ... essential reading.' - The Times

On 13 September 2007, Robert Peston broke the news that Northern Rock had become a victim of the global credit crunch and was seeking an emergency loan from the Bank of England.

It was the latest in a long line of scoops by this award-winning journalist. Over the weeks that followed, the Government found itself exposed to the Rock to the tune of 57 billion, or almost £2000 for every taxpayer. As Robert Peston shows in his fascinating new book, the seeds for the collapse of Northern Rock and the upheavals in the financial markets were sown years before.

WHO RUNS BRITAIN? is the first time anyone has drawn all the threads together to weave a story that's rich in extraordinary characters and outrageous feats of economic bravado. This book is about the widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of us. It explores and explodes the myth that the financial creativity of those who are amassing these vast fortunes is good for the wider economy and for all of us. Whether you're a financial expert or just have a bank account, WHO RUNS BRITAIN? is a book you must read.

About this title

About the Author

Robert Peston is the BBC's Economics Editor. Prior to joining the BBC, he was Political Editor and Financial Editor of the Financial Times, City Editor of the Sunday Telegraph and a columnist for the New Statesman and Sunday Times (inter alia). He has won numerous awards for his journalism, including Journalist of the Year and Scoop of the Year (twice) from the Royal Television Society, Performer of the Year from the Broadcasting Press Guild, Broadcaster of the Year and Journalist of the Year from the Wincott Foundation and Business Journalist of the Year from the London Press Club. Peston has published two critically acclaimed books, WHO RUNS BRITAIN?, his best-selling account of who is to blame for the economic and financial crisis of 2007-9, and BROWN'S BRITAIN, a biography of Gordon Brown and analysis of the New Labour government. His prize-winning blog - Peston's Picks - which has more than 800,000 readers, can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/robertpeston. He is the founder of Speakers for Schools (www.speakers4schools.org), a pro bono educational service which organises free talks from inspirational speakers for students at state schools. He is a trustee of the Education and Employers Taskforce. He is married to the writer Siân Busby. You can follow Robert on twitter at www.Twitter.com/Peston

Edition details

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 034099326X
• ISBN 13: 9780340993262
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368