Beyond A Fringe
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€18.50
A Times Political Book of the Year
A Daily Mail Political Book of the Year
A Guardian Political Book of the Year
An Independent Political Book of the Year
Veering from the hilarious to the tragic, Andrew Mitchell's tales from the parliamentary jungle make for one of the most entertaining political memoirs in years.
From his prep school years, straight out of Evelyn Waugh, through the Army to Cambridge, the City of London and the Palace of Westminster, Mitchell has passed through a series of British institutions at a time of furious social change - in the process becoming rather more cynical about the Establishment.
Here, he brilliantly lifts the lid on its inner workings, from the punctilio of high finance to the dark arts of the government Whips' Office, and reveals how he accidentally started Boris Johnson's political career - an act which rebounded on him spectacularly.
Engagingly honest about his ups and downs in politics, Beyond a Fringe is crammed with riotous political anecdotes and irresistible insider gossip from the heart of Westminster.
ANDREW MITCHELL was educated at Rugby and Jesus College, Cambridge. He was an officer in the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, serving with the United Nations military forces in Cyprus. Prior to entering Parliament, he worked for Lazard in London.
As the MP for Gedling from 1987 to 1997, he served in John Major's government, including in the Whips' Office during the notorious Maastricht debates. Re-elected to the House of Commons for Royal Sutton Coldfield in 2001, he served as Secretary of State for International Development from 2010 to 2012 and as Chief Whip in 2012.
He is an active member of the House of Commons and a fierce defender of his constituents. He is also a fellow at Cambridge University, a visiting fellow at Harvard University and an honorary professor at the University of Birmingham. He lives in London and the Midlands with his wife, Sharon, with whom he has two daughters, Hannah and Rosie.