Second Amongst Equals

"If economics is the dismal science" writes Richard Holt in his introduction "then Chancellors of the Exchequer must be the dismal politicians." To be Chancellor is to take responsibility for an economy whose problems have so often seemed insurmountable. More often than not, Chancellorships have ended in defeat at the hands of the electorate or the currency markets or both. Several politicians failed to become Prime Minister because they were Chancellor. Despite all that, only one job in British politics is more coveted. Second Amongst Equals asks what makes a good Chancellor, who was the best and the worst, and whether the reputations of men as varied as Stafford Cripps and Norman Lamont, or Hugh Gaitskill and John Major, really do them justice. By concentrating on the individuals and by eschewing jargon and technicalities, Second Amongst Equals provides a positively enjoyable account of the evolution, promises and failures of British economic policies. This book offers a fresh and entertaining perspective on modern British politics and politicians. Author Richard Holt is an economist. He studied at New College, Oxford and Birkbeck College, London, and has worked for the Confederation of British Industry and in the City. He is currently a director of the leading economics consultancy, Business Strategies.