The imperial premiership

In the past four years there have been four votes in the House of Commons on the question of military intervention. This has put foreign policy at the heart of the public conscience. For the first time ever, The imperial premiership offers a broad overview of British foreign policy spanning the last fifty years and over nine premierships from the perspective of the individual premiership from Harold Wilson to David Cameron. Based on the author's first-hand interviews with former foreign secretaries, Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, party officials, military chiefs and diplomats the book offers a unique account of the growing role of the prime minister in foreign policymaking and the personal impact each premier has had on British foreign policy as a whole. Written in parliament by a senior parliamentary researcher it provides an insider account of both recent votes on the question of military intervention in Syria. This book argues that the prime minister now spends more time on foreign policy than any other time outside of war, yet the public and MPs themselves remain relatively ill-informed of foreign policy outside of crises. If we are to avoid the foreign policy mistakes of the past and utilise our country's full capacity on the world stage then we need a societal change in how we vet those who seek the office and in educating the electorate.The imperial premiership will appeal to all readers with an interest in UK and global politics.