They do not gleam like an unboxed Iphone: they clatter with coins like an old stinky phone box. Our story is different, and our side of it is worth telling. This review is also available with many other at my blog: I write this on the day Brexit finally 'got done' - also the day, ironically and darkly portentously, coronavirus arrived in the UK. But he saves his (in my view) rightful anger for the "privatization at all costs" mentality introduced by the Thatcher govt, and now ingrained in so much of political thinking, that has cut a swathe through public services, to the benefit only of venture capitalists and hedge fund managers. Stuart Maconie is at his best when he gets all polemical, and while I don't agree with everything here (in particular, criticising left Labour activists for being patronising then saying he's more centrist because "I'm a grown up" is a bit jarring), this is a great impassioned case for the welfare state and a fairer society. “Rubbish,” says Maconie now. Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App? Westival - Westport Music + Arts Festival. Having defeated global fascism, a ruined country rebuilt itself from rubble - thanks to the most progressive government in our history and the talents of its children, raised outside of the establishment and the elite on a diet of free school milk and all the other benefits of a forward-looking state with a commitment to the public good, not the private profit. Your order qualifies for free UK delivery. “I kept hearing this trotted out, but hang on, was it that bad? Visit the Stuart Maconie author page The music was terrible, the fashion sense worse, the food Abigail’s Party-kitsch. I am of the same generation as Maconie and from the same neck of the woods. By looking at their usage, origins, rhetorical power and linguistic construction, we can see how they frame public argument and shape our thinking (sometimes in ways we do not notice). An excellent and very timely book. Stuart Maconie looks into the ‘Nanny State’. Although an ardent supporter of welfare, he is not an entirely uncritical admirer of everything, he sometimes quotes critical opinions. A lot of his opinions resonate, or I can at least see where he is coming from. Topics are wide ranging, and only touched upon. © 2020 Associated Newspapers Limited. Simon Armitage: ‘I think poetry is our greatest and most democratic art form’. “There seems to be a fetish for political despair, people suggesting that this is the worst time there has ever been. Being of a similar vintage to Mr Maconie, and from a similar latitude (albeit t'other side of the Pennines) much of what he describes so eloquently chimes strongly with my experience. What was so wrong with student grants, free eye tests and council homes? In this timely and provocative event, Stuart looks towards Britain’s future, making an emotional case for believing in more than profit and loss, and championing a just, fairer society. I definitely agree that five years ago I would never have expected to see the buffoon which is Boris as PM. It is a well researched, well thought out argument for all that was good about those things and why they matter. A lot of his opinions resonate, or I can at least see where he is coming from. The writer and broadcaster had grown up happy and secure in 60s and 70s Wigan. I do enjoy reading Stuart Maconie. A truly unbelievable state of. Whether it’s the nod to libraries or the Tales of the NHS, he takes you with him every step. Book available from Tertulia Bookshop, The Quay Westport. For me, it was the once-free milk and fillings, the patchy putting greens and public libraries, the forbidding nit nurses and dour dole offices. Be the first to ask a question about The Nanny State Made Me. Exploring the origins and meanings of well-known phrases from the national conversation. Being of a similar vintage to Mr Maconie, and from a similar latitude (albeit t'other side of the Pennines) much of what he describes so eloquently chimes strongly with my experience. Skip to content. So these aren’t the worst of times, but they are quite bad. (4), Social engineering (political science) However, Maconie becomes too misty-eyed to keep a focus. This fascinating and well written social history should be mandatory reading. What was so bad, he asks, about properly funded hospitals, decent working conditions and affordable houses? The Nanny State Made Me and is an attempt to refute the bankrupt, empty narrative that we’ve been sold – literally sold – for forty years; that the state should be rolled back and that everything from the hospitals we are born and die in, to the water we drink to the houses we hope to live in, to the jails we hope to avoid is best left to the private businessman- and best done for the profit of shareholders. He speaks about the changes that took place after the second world war - the NHS, provision of council housing etc that have been progressively whittled away since 1979. “They made me realise what a mess we’ve made of our country compared to theirs,” he says. Maconie, though, is optimistic. Neither does he deny the role that entrepreneurs can play in making peoples lives better. There were parts which read as if all governments since 1990 have been inept in their handling of the state, which I don't believe to be exactly true. His praise of society. If you have changed your email address then contact us and we will update your details. ‘Whatever happened to Britain’s welfare state?’ asks writer, broadcaster and journalist Stuart Maconie. “There is no longer a national appetite for further privatisation, I think. A truly unbelievable state of affairs. I went to a lot of the local places he describes, the swimming pool in Wigan being one with many memories and I enjoyed the way this took me back to a place and time. An unseasonably cold month here doesn’t mean the seas aren’t rising somewhere else. You may be too. I grew up with Thatcher and Maconie in the north east of England and was interested to see what he had to say. This a notice of assurance that we are taking every measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Thing is, they can get better. But now it's under threat, and we need to save it. The author passionately and cogently describes how the formation of the welfare state, and the 40 post-war years of social democracy, have influenced the path through life of a working class boy from Wigan. First book by Stuart Maconie and I really did enjoy it. Stuart Maconie lovingly describes the welfare state as he knew it, relating each chapter to a phase in his life - ‘I am born’ for instance discusses the NHS, ‘ I go to school’ education, and so on. Read more Read less. We should, he writes, celebrate having been born “into the stern but loving embrace of one of its hospitals, raised in one of its compact, sturdy little houses and educated in its solid, unshowy but decent schools”. Close search. Read about our approach to external linking. He laments the end of free higher education, the politicisation of the NHS, the privatisa. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Particularly poignant now though. Political terminology His is not a blinkered view of a man with a party line to follow, he does not shy. Welcome back. We need to remind the younger generation that Britain was once a decent place to live for everyone. ‘Whatever happened to Britain’s welfare state?’ asks writer, broadcaster and journalist. He writes in an easily understandable way and provides a structure to his writing that generally works well However, he does over egg the pudding in reiteration at times that makes for a read that loses some of it impetus. A slow read but only because I wanted to absorb the detail or went back to read bits. As soon as I read the first page of this book I knew I was going to devour it very quickly. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Anyone who writes any kind of ‘political’ book these days, even one that is as much a memoir and a personal history as my own new book, risks being left looking foolish by the sheer, bewildering pace of the political weather, what Harold MacMillan called ‘events, dear boy, events’. They do not purr like a Maserati, they wheeze like a British Leyland bus. He laments the end of free higher education, the politicisation of the NHS, the privatisation of the railways and water etc but this isn’t a rant. I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. ‘Nanny state’ has become a glib dismissal for all that is seen to be bad, weak and misguided about once-proud Britain. His latest book is The Nanny State Made Me. I loved it.' Or, as Maconie says “people who had nannies”. Following the initial email, you will be contacted by the shop to confirm that your item is available for collection. Simply reserve online and pay at the counter when you collect. Writer, broadcaster and journalist Stuart Maconie delivers a compelling case for Britain’s welfare state through a characteristic blend of memoir, history and musings. I’m a bit older than he is but the working class north (in my case Scotland) and the reliance on the welfare state in its various guises to lift you out of the humdrum is beautifully captured. None of these things sound particularly glamorous or sexy. He knows how to tell a story with pathos and wit and there is a lot of both in this book. However, Maconie becomes too misty-eyed to keep a focus. I was born a few years after Margaret Thatcher first became Prime Minister so my memories involve funding cuts being made to my school and my mother's worry over the introduction of the poll tax. Maconie looks back with rose-tinted glasses to a life led under the glory days of state intervention. Search Log in Cart. I went to a lot of the local places he describes. Thankfully, this book is a reminder of the many wonderful things different governments have done for this country. I don’t agree with everything he says, but he is always interesting. Start by marking “The Nanny State Made Me: A Story of Britain and How to Save it” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Indeed, they’re not. I found it readable and informative and Stuart Maconie's passion for his subject come across very well. Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Hashi Mohamed Recommends 5 Books on Social Mobility, Editing Deborah Orr: Jenny Lord Remembers a Literary Icon, Francesca Wade on the Incredible Women of Mecklenburgh Square, The Best Books to Look Out for in 2020: Non-Fiction. In his new book The Nanny State Made Me: A Story of Britain and How to Save It, Stuart tells the story of Britain’s welfare state through his own history of growing up as a northern working class boy. Rather appropriately I finished this on the anniversary of VE Day. Your order is now being processed and we have sent a confirmation email to you at. Acclaimed journalist, broadcaster and author of The Nanny State Made Me, Stuart Maconie is an unapologetic advocate of the post-war Welfare State that is frequently derided as the 'nanny state' in numerous op-ed pieces and newspaper columns. This is a celebration of the welfare state by Stuart Maconie and how the wonderful benefits that we've all experienced from it have been gradually eroded away year on year. These things were achieved by generations of children of the state. Whether it’s the nod to libraries or the Tales of the NHS, he takes you with him every step. Sophie’s first book of the month was The Nanny State Made Me by Stuart Maconie. This item can be requested from the shops shown below. “He is as funny as Bryson and as wise as Orwell” – The Observer, Paulette Edwards is a presenter on BBC Radio Sheffield, Books, including selected signed copies or signed book plates are available through our Festival Bookseller Blackwell’s with free postage. “Councils have made a lot of difficult decisions when making cuts that affect things like parks and libraries, but did we really have to bail out the bankers as much as we did, or fund such doomed follies as London’s abandoned Garden Bridge project, which cost the taxpayer more than £50m?”.
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