Nothing Like A Dame: The Scandals Of Shirley Porter - Softcover

Hosken, Andrew

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1862079226 ISBN 13: 9781862079229

Publisher: Granta Books, 2007

Synopsis

Homes for Votes, three cemeteries at five pence apiece, the missing Tesco millions and a gold toilet seat - plus a procession of camels, pay-as-you-go toilets and a large plastic bin called Mr Clean-Up; the hallmarks of Shirley Porter's regime at Westminster City Council are as well known as they are farcical. The story of the Tesco's heiress who shot to power and notoriety in the 1980s has never been told before. The fall-out from her reign in Westminster united opposition from all corners of public life, from Ken Livingstone to Margaret Thatcher, Nigella Lawson to the Queen of Holland, Westminster refuse workers to the Billy Fury fan club. The gerrymandering scandal at the heart of her policies eventually lead to Dame Shirley being found guilty of corruption and ordered to pay a surcharge of GBP21million. In a highly entertaining account of one of the strangest episodes in British political history, Andrew Hosken tells of Shirley Porter's wealthy upbringing as the daughter of Jack Cohen, the founder of Tesco; her rise to power in Westminster; and about the scandal and its aftermath. He has interviewed most of the individuals involved in a story that is colourful, shocking and stranger than fiction.

About this title

Review

'Someone had to tell this story, and Andrew Hosken, a reporter on Radio Four’s Today programme, has done it punctiliously' -- TLS

‘A splendid book... very thorough, with an immense amount of detail, presented remarkably digestibly’ -- Guardian

‘A superbly researched, elegantly written mix of investigative journalism and political biography...an entertaining read’ -- Evening Standard

‘Delivers a vicious indictment of the former politician’ -- The Times

‘Hosken tells the story brilliantly, often with enlightening and entertaining details’ -- The Oldie

‘The unauthorised account of arguably the greatest political corruption scandal in recent British history’ -- The Independent

‘superbly researched, elegantly written mix of investigative journalism and political biography... despite its weighty subject matter, is an entertaining read’ -- Evening Standard

About the Author

Andrew Hosken is a senior reporter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, investigating a range of stories both at home and abroad. In 2003, he won the One World Media Award for a series on Algerian terrorism for Today. He lives in west London with his partner and son. Nothing Like A Dame is his first book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Granta Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1862079226
• ISBN 13: 9781862079229
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368