The Political Animal

The British Political Animal might be a better title since, with a few small exceptions, Jeremy Paxman confines himself to a study of British politicians. Why they want to be politicians; what they do – or don’t - when they reach parliament; what frustrates them, satisfies them, destroys their reputations; and what they do after they’ve left the House of Commons.

It’s not particularly heartening read, (although it’s as sleekly written and readable as all his other books). He goes to great lengths to explain that while someone may fight to get into parliament to make a contribution to society, the chances of doing so are so very, very slim that they might as well just sit on the back benches and enjoy the central heating, the salary and the Westminster bars and restaurants. He’s even more disillusioned about the prospect of a minister effecting change, noting that it usually takes a year to understand the job they’ve been given, another year to get going before, in their third, and just as they’re about to implement a policy, getting sacked or transferred to another position about which they know nothing.

The book was published in 2002. It would be interesting to read what he might make of the current political scene, with all its electoral upheavals, social media wars and shift to the right. But that’s unlikely, given his health. Which is a shame. So in the meantime, I’ll stick with a quote wrongly attributed to Winston Churchill.

‘Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.’