About the book:

What is it like to be the wife of a politician in modern-day Britain? Sasha Swire finally lifts the lid. For over two decades she has kept a secret diary detailing the trials and tribulations of being a political plus-one; the travel, the security, the challenges to family life and the unpredictable events. A professional partner as well as a loyal and loving spouse and one with strong political opinions herself - a bit more 'No, Minister ', than 'Yes' - she detonates the image of the dutiful stereotype.

Swire gives us an inner-circle ringside seat through the seismic political events of the decade, from the election of David Cameron and the forming of a coalition, three general elections, to the referendum and the turmoil of Brexit. She observes the great and the not-so-great at the closest of quarters, and the results are both painfully revealing and -frequently -painfully funny. She sheds light on the 'snakes and ladders' nature of political careers, on the scandals, on the friendships and the fallouts, the juggling of office and home life, the media scrutiny and the handling of political opponents. It is a searingly honest, wildly indiscreet and often hilarious account of what life is like in the thick of it.

About the author:

Sasha Swire was raised and educated in west Cornwall, where her father, Sir John Nott, was MP for the St Ives constituency. She was a journalist on national and regional publications and in Asia before working as her husband Hugo Swire's political researcher from 2001 to 2019. She divides her time between Devon and London.

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