{"product_id":"broken-heartlands","title":"Broken Heartlands","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBroken Heartlands\u003c\/i\u003e is an essential and compelling political road-trip through ten constituencies that tell the story of Labour’s red wall from Sebastian Payne – an award-winning journalist and Whitehall Editor for the \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e Political Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Daily Mail \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eFT\u003c\/i\u003e Book of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eImmensely\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e readable' - \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eObserver\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHistorically, the red wall formed the backbone of Labour’s vote in the Midlands and the North of England but, during the 2019 general election, it dramatically turned Conservative for the first time in living memory, redrawing the electoral map in the process.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginally from the North East himself, Payne sets out to uncover the real story behind the red wall and what turned these seats blue. Beginning in Blyth Valley in the North East and ending in Burnley, with visits to constituencies across the Midlands and Yorkshire along the way, Payne gets to the heart of a key political story of our time that will have ramifications for years to come.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Brexit and the unpopularity of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn were factors, there is a more nuanced story explored in \u003ci\u003eBroken Heartlands\u003c\/i\u003e – of how these northern communities fared through generational shifts, struggling public services, de-industrialization and the changing nature of work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing interviews with local people, plus major political figures from both parties – including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer – Payne explores the significant role these social and economic forces, decades in the making, played in this fundamental upheaval of the British political landscape.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Impressive and entertaining' -\u003ci\u003e Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A must-read for anyone who wants to understand England today' - Robert Peston\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54222391509336,"sku":"9781529067392","price":21.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781529067392.jpg?v=1749589213","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/broken-heartlands","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}