Chief of Staff

By: Gavin Barwell

Narrated by: Gavin Barwell

Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Once a more sedate affair, since 2016, British politics has witnessed a barrage of crises, resignations and general elections. As Brexit became logjammed, Theresa May's premiership was the most turbulent of all. In her darkest hour, following the disastrous 2017 election, she turned to Gavin Barwell to restore her battered authority. He would become her chief of staff for the next two years - a period punctuated by strained negotiations, domestic tragedy and intense political drama. 

In this gripping insider memoir, Barwell reveals what really went on in the corridors of power - and sheds a vital light on May, the most inscrutable of modern prime ministers. He was by her side when she negotiated her Brexit deal, met Donald Trump, heard about the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury, responded to the Grenfell Tower fire, met Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer to broker a cross-party Brexit agreement - and ultimately made the decision to stand down as prime minister. Revealing how government operates during times of crisis, this will become the definitive record of a momentous episode in Britain's recent political history.

©2021 Gavin Barwell (P)2021 W. F. Howes Ltd

Apologist's account

My review can be boiled down to three things:

1. The author likes lists like this. He also likes (open quotes) quotes (end quotes).
2. This is by a Remain supporter and thus shows an obvious bias.
3. The feeling is that the author is trying to rehabilitate Mrs May's (and, by extension, his own) poor reputation and choices. Comes across as a bit arrogant and self-congratulatory.

Still, as one insider perspective on the May government, it is a valuable and somewhat intriguing historical record.
Even better that the author himself narrates his own words.

I wanted to enjoy this - but ended up frustrated!

I downloaded this hoping and expecting an honest reflection on one of our most difficult times in recent political history. Craig Oliver's Unleashing Demons did this very well and I wanted more of the same.
I was quickly disappointed - very early on the comments such as "couldn't they see that ..." "how could they possibly believe that ...", started and kept coming. Somewhere near the end of the book Gavin comments that UK MPs should be ashamed of themselves for sending the UK PM to an EU meeting looking so weak. Zero understanding that the strategy from the top may have got us to this situation.
Defending the negotiated deal until the end, the book has little self reflection (except for the last 15 minutes where he does ask the question - 'what could we have done better'). Ironically he talks of the need to understand politics throughout the book but doesn't recognise (or at least doesn't talk to) the lack of political strategy throughout his two years that may have got a deal over the line at home.

I'll save you 6 hours - according to Gavin: "Teresa was brilliant, the deal was fantastic, everyone else was wrong"

one of the best political books this year

Great look into Theresa May's time in No 10 and an important time in British history after Brexit. Gavin helps give a clear understanding into why the decisions were made and draws back the curtains to show what Theresa May was liked. A picture of person she sadly failed to show the public, a PM interested in public service and doing things for the greater good. Instead of what is happening now , a PM just focused on their own inflated ego to the detriment of the country.

Contemptuous

Barwell absolutely detested the idea of Brexit and in my opinion was completely unsuitable to be Chief of Staff to any PM serious about delivering it.
He has previous for leaking confidential information to the press from before he was even an MP.

Interesting material, dull telling

It's a shame that the author read the book. the performance was pretty dull, and the book itself read like an extended civil service briefing paper....far too many numbered lists of points!!! really detracted from what could have been an interesting account of a very interesting time.

Clarity into the carnage that continued to polarise and divide the nation over the Brexit negotiations

Highly recommended book for all who see to understand why British politics was in chaos during the Brexit negotiations. This valuable insight lays bare the impossible position Prime Minister May was put in. She was never going to win regardless. That much is clear.

Really well written

Absorbing account of how to not solve the impossible.
Superbly written factual account. You are left breathless at the sheer stupidity of the whole Brexit fiasco.

It's fine

It's fine if you want to know story behind her government.
But found it a bit boring and predictable.
Listen to the sample before you buy it. Not everyone will like that tone of voice.
No offense

Terribly read

I can't finish this. Usually I prefer a book read by the author to get the authentic voice, but in this case delivery is stilted, hesitant and irritatingly distracting. Surprising for a book of this type, where the writer's career has involved a lot of communication and oratory.

Theresa Fan Boy

The self congratulatory nature of this memoir is quite remarkable at times given the quite frankly disastrous nature of the May premiership. I can accept that she may have had good intentions, but that really is not enough. There are many breathtaking moments. In a discussion of the backstop to the backstop period (don’t ask) he mentions at one point that there was general misunderstanding that the May proposal was about "a" customs union rather than "the" custom union, but it was too difficult to make that point clear. That seems to me to go to the heart of the problem. It was the government’s problem to MAKE that clear but they failed in that central duty and then became hamstrung by their opponents. Sulphurous fumes appear whenever Boris or Trump make an appearance but the latter often seems to be quite acute about things, and it is interesting to hear about his desire to avoid nuclear war by all costs. Barwell gives one radio interview at the end of his term and speaks movingly and admiringly about Theresa May. Afterwards he asks if she heard it . “Typical Theresa, she hadn’t” he says. But that is also part of the problem. There is something missing about her, human empathy really, despite all her high falutin ideas. Oh well, she placed him in the House of Lords. I found this an entertaining listen about a complex period of recent history, but it doesn’t show much insight on the whole. Quite a boozy culture in No 10 too, I note. We would be hearing more about that soon unbeknown to the author!

Excellent book well read

The book would be perfect for its subject but for the incredibly irritating tick of announcing and closing each quote. I have heard thousands of books with quotes and never heard or needed this before.