Book review: Governing Britain: power politics and the Prime Minister by Patrick Diamond

"Governing Britain: Power Politics and the Prime Minister." Patrick Diamond. I.B. Tauris. November 2013. --- In this book, Patrick Diamond examines the administrative and political machinery serving the Prime Minister, and considers how it evolved from the early years of New Labour to the election of the Coalition Government in 2010. The author attempts to provide an analysis which considers the continuing power of the civil service, the tensions between permanent officials and political aides, and the hard grind of achieving change from the centre in Whitehall. While the author has a clear, readable style and his arguments feel considered and well thought through, Matthew Wargent finds that the real strength of this book lies in the data he has to offer.