The Intimacy of Power

An insight into private office, Whitehall's most sensitive network
A masterful survey of one of the most influential but under-examined roles in politics.

Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes in thecorridors of power during a major crisis or after a ministerial reshuffle? Howdo new government ministers get to grips with their portfolios and priorities?Who guides and supports them? And why, sometimes - during events such as'Partygate' - do things go wrong?

In this meticulously researched book, former senior civilservant Alun Evans lifts the lid on a vital but little-known cog in themachinery of government: private office and the private secretaries who workwithin it.

Private secretaries exercise huge influence, and yet most ofus have never heard of them. They are the ones who manage the flow of work, whowhisper quietly in ministers' ears and who have been Prime Ministers' closest, mosttrusted and most discreet confidants. At critical moments in our nationalhistory - from the Falklands War to the Westland affair, from Black Wednesdayto the 2008 financial crash, from New Labour to the coalition government - theyhave been central but hidden players.

With exceptional access to former Prime Ministers anddecision-makers, Evans explores what private office is and why it matters to Britishdemocracy. He argues that following the egregious constitutional breaches ofBoris Johnson's premiership, private office must once again be taken seriouslyso it can return to being the independent junction box of government and avital part of the British constitution.

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