Failed State

Excellent … a persuasive argument brought to life by a generous supply of telling quotes and good stories from insiders, which make it convincing and readable – The TimesFunny, whipsmart and devastating. Sanity on steroids for our unhinged times – Emily Maitlis, broadcaster and bestselling authorOne of the most astute observers of British politics. Freedman combines an unparalleled understanding of Westminster with a light, easy-to-read style – Ian Dunt, bestselling author of How Westminster Works … And Why It Doesn’tExcellent – Financial TimesConcise, wise and clear, this is a book that every member of the new government should read and digest – David Aaronovitch, BBC Radio 4 presenterExcellent. Fantastic. An exquisite analysis – The Secret Barrister, bestselling author and campaignerBrilliantly timed and frighteningly true. We should listen to what Freedman has to say – Sir Anthony Seldon, bestselling author of Johnson at 10Brilliant. Clear and compelling reading – Nigella Lawson, author, cook and journalistAn urgent plea for reform – The GuardianI heard it was required reading for new ministers and I concur! Bravo – Louise Haigh, Secretary for State for Transport, UK GovernmentFreedman’s diagnosis is damning [… and] clear-eyed about what solutions are needed – TLSAn incisive analysis – The Morning Star

Sam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and a senior adviser to Ark Schools. He writes about policy and politics for numerous outlets including the Financial Times, Sunday Times, Guardian and New Statesman. With his father, he runs ‘Comment is Freed’, Britain’s most popular politics Substack. He has a following of over 150,000 on X/Twitter. He has spent his career working in different policy-focused roles around Westminster, including as an adviser to the leader of the opposition and three years at the Department for Education as a senior policy adviser.