The Establishment: And How They Get Away with itA major bestseller in the UK and a six-time Best Book of 2014, The Establishment is a sweeping look at how power and money have made British politics hugely undemocratic. Power, money, and undemocratic politics—wait, does that sound familiar? Who wields power in politics? It is a question that's asked all too often—and never really answered. But that's exactly what Owen Jones has done in The Establishment, which has already taken Great Britain by storm. To expose the shadowy and unaccountable network of people who dominate British political life—the people who influence major decisions and reap huge profits in the process—Owen Jones sets out on a journey into the very heart of the elite. From the lobbies of the Houses of Parliament to Rupert Murdoch's newsrooms to the conference rooms of some of the world's biggest banks, Jones systematically explores the revolving doors that link the worlds of politics, media, and finance—and shows how this corrupt and incestuous world came to be. Funny, sharp, and rich with brilliant descriptions of the men and women at the heart of the elite, The Establishment is a joy to read, but its diagnosis is deadly serious: the establishment is the biggest threat to democracy today. And it's time, writes Jones, for it to be challenged. |
Contents
Cover | |
The Outriders | |
The Westminster Cartel | |
Mediaocracy | |
The Boys in Blue | |
Scrounging Off the State | |
Tycoons and TaxDodgers | |
Masters of the Universe | |
The Illusion of Sovereignty | |
A Democratic Revolution | |
Afterword | |
Acknowledgements | |
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Adam Smith Institute advisor Atos banks became become believe benefit big business Britain Brown campaign capitalism cent Chancellor City claim coalition government consensus Conservative crisis David Cameron David Miliband democracy director economic editor election Establishment’s European favour financial sector firm force former free-market funds global Goldman Sachs Gordon Brown government’s HMRC House ideas ideology industry Iraq journalists Labour Party leader Liberal Democrats lobbying London Margaret Thatcher mentality Miliband million Murdoch empire neo-liberal newspaper outriders Overton Window paid Parliament people’s police officers Policy Exchange political elite politicians poll post-war Prime Minister private companies profit protesters public services right-wing says Secretary senior slashed social society spending tax avoidance tax haven taxpayer there’s think tank today’s Tony Blair Tory trade unions Vodafone vote voters wealthy workers