Joseph Pilgrim is the eponymous hero of Andy McSmtih's fictional debut. He had already made several wrong career moves before being swept into the House of Commons by Labour's landslide in 1997, much to his own surprise. As Pilgrim tries to avoid the patronage and sycophancy he innocently stumbles up the greasy pole of success, until a sexual peccadillo gets into the hands of Grub Street's grubbiest and his past returns to haunt him.

Review:

Joseph Pilgrim is a backbench Labour MP with only the slimmest chances of making a name for himself in Andy McSmith's impressive Innocent in the House. Perpetually lusting after his disdainful young assistant Rachel, and befogged by amnesia during the Prime Minister's Questions, his good intentions twisted hither and thither by an army of whips and spin-doctors--Joseph has a tough time in the House. But it's about to get tougher. An offhand remark leads the press to lionise him as the vanguard of backbench revolt, and as Joseph is thrust unwillingly into the limelight, an old enemy resurfaces... with a deadly score to settle.

McSmith's background--as a political correspondent and former Labour Press Officer--lends him a distinct advantage when spinning this tale of skullduggery. Joe Pilgrim's jerky progress from unknown bureaucrat to tabloid whipping boy is studded with the sort of observations and details that few outside Westminster could mimic, and none inside would dare to attempt. Circling around our her--and carrying a delicious whiff of Evelyn Waugh-style parody--are various Old Labour dinosaurs, wolf-eyed press officers and psychotic constituents, all depicted with stinging accuracy and unflagging hilarity. Most convincing of all is Pilgrim himself--a Lucky Jim of the late 90s, struggling to maintain his integrity against a tide of sleaze and obfuscation. In showing us the Mother of all Parliaments as she would most certainly not like to be seen, Mr McSmith has come close to creating the mother of all satires. --Matthew Baylis

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Innocent in the House: A Novel

McSmith, Andy

Used - Hardcover

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