The Ashdown Diaries: 1988-1997
The Ashdown Diaries: 1988-1997 by Paddy Ashdown, published by Penguin in 2000, is a comprehensive account spanning 638 pages. This edition captures the pivotal moments of Ashdown’s leadership journey, beginning with his election as party leader in July 1988 during a time of financial distress and low morale within the party. The diary entries provide insight into the challenges he faced, including the precarious state of the party’s finances and the pressures of leadership.
Readers will find a detailed exploration of the political landscape in Great Britain during the late 20th century, as Ashdown reflects on the political process and the dynamics of political parties. The entries reveal his thoughts and experiences as he navigated a tumultuous period in British politics, offering a unique perspective on the events that shaped his leadership and the broader historical context. This biography and autobiography blend personal narrative with political history, making it a significant contribution to the understanding of political life in Europe during this era.
Official synopsis Publisher
On July 1988, the day Paddy Ashdown was elected Leader of his party and this diary begins, the men from the Inland Revenue had to be hurried from the party’s headquarters so he could make his first Leader’s statement to the press. (The Revenue had called because of our persistent failure to pay National Insurance contributions). The party was virtually bankrupt, morale almost extinguished. In the depths of despair eleven months later, with everything apparently dissolving around him, he wrote in his diary, I’m plagued by the nightmare that the party that started with Gladstone will end with Ashdown.
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