A review by booksrockcal
Politics On the Edge: A Memoir from Within by Rory Stewart

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. The author is well known in Britain but until I read this book not well-known to me, upon finishing it, I know I will be following him henceforth. Stewart has an Eton/Oxford education and spent his formative years running non profit enterprises in Afghanistan and traveling through the Middle East independently as part of Britain’s foreign office and as an independent journalist/actor. In 2010 he decides that in order to have a greater impact on his country he should run for Parliament. He represents an area on the border between England and Scotland to which he becomes quite devoted and about which he knows a lot more than many of his fellow MPs ( I didn’t know that MPs did not have to be residents of the area they represent-Stewart is actually from Scotland). Stewart begins idealistically but soon comes to realize that the government is comprised of minsters who know little about their area of supposed expertise (Boris Johnson appoints him to represent Africa not the Middle East despite his 10 years in Iraq/Afghanistan) and that they spend much of their time engaged in machinations related to who is supporting who in elections or power grabs. Stewart devotedly learns as much as possible about Africa and prisons (his assigned areas as a minister in the government)and soldiers on as a left leaning conservative. Brexit is his breaking point, however, and when no one is honestly negotiating for a post Brexit deal to benefit everyone Stewart challenges Johnson for PM. The book ends when he loses, which means he also leaves Parliament ( a huge loss to his constituency to which he was truly devoted). The end was a bit abrupt and I would live to hear his commentary on Britain run by Boris Johnson. Stewart is now a Yale professor and podcaster- I will follow him now for his commentary on British politics and to find out what happened after this book. When American politics is the dumpster fire that it is now, I enjoy reading about the challenges experienced in other countries.  Stewart is and interesting and engaging writer