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Eamonn Butler

The Rotten State of Britain: How Gordon Brown Lost a Decade and Cost a Fortune Paperback – January 1, 2009

by butler-eamonn (Author)

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Language

English
Publisher

Gibson Square Books
Publication date

January 1, 2009
Dimensions

5.08 x 0.79 x 7.8 inches
ISBN-10

1906142378
ISBN-13

978-1906142377
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gibson Square Books (January 1, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1906142378
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1906142377
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.79 x 7.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #17,247,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
39 ratings

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5 star		51%
4 star		22%
3 star		15%
2 star		7%
1 star		5%

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Junglies

I wish someone would write an American equivalent.

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2012

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Since I left Britain in 1995 to avoid haing to become a citizen of the European Union, I can testify to the validity of Eamonn Butler's book.

The Parliament of Great Britain has become subordinate to the institutions of Europe and is but a translation device and rubber stamp for the conversion of European laws and regulaions into country specific versions for the various countries which make up the United Kingdom.

The liberalism of Britain which attracted Fredrich von Hayek when he fled from Germany has been supplanted by the dirigiste culture of Europe. While there is a little rearguard action, most of the time successive governments have paid lip service to the idea of Island Britain, using the EU as a straw man to help bolster their election prospects.

Both parties have little to choose between them having generally accepted Blair's views. The Houses of Parliament are now stuffed with yes-men professional politicians who look upon their role as employees first and foremost and the more independent House of Lords has been emasculated as the voice of reason and objective examination.

This book clearly demonstrates from an individualist and market based viewpoint how the fundamental nature of British society has been changed for the worst. At a basic level, individuals can no longer deal with things themselves as the departments of government have inserted themselves into every area of life. I am reminded of the expansion of the National Socialist Bureaucracy similarly in Hitler's Germany from 1933.

Most British sunjects will freely express their frustrations at their inability to get on in their lives without bumping into some stupid rule or another along the way. From speed cameras in remote areas to police activity in persecuting traders who want to sell things in pounds and not kilogrammes, there are innumerable examples to the insanity of British life today. The disparity of taxation on beer, wine and spirits which forced UK residents to go abroad and smuggle because the government wanted to bring them into line with Europe where people drink more wine than beer whereas Britains do the reverse, is a poignant example of the crass disregard Britain's politicians have for their constituents.

All in all this is a fine little book which suggests two further courses of action.

First, Eamonn Butler should write a British sequel and;

Secondly, he should commission an American auther to write the equivalent book for the United States.

Helpful

Thomas H. Burroughes

A sorry tale of Britain's decline in prosperity and liberty

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2009

Dr Butler has penned a ruefully accurate portrait of a country that has - despite all the promises made in 1997 by the-then premier Tony Blair - become less prosperous, less free, more unequal, more nannied and supervised than what existed before. I think what makes this book particularly useful is how Dr Butler draws together the different critiques that have been made by various commentators in recent years and puts them all together. He covers the deterioration in public finances - already bad when this book went to print and now even worse - the inefficiency of our education and health sectors; the shocking erosions of important protections of freedom, such as the snooper state; he also chronicles the obsession with removing all risk from our lives. Dr Butler is particular effective in his use of data and real-life details to make his points, whether it is showing how regulations of "wheelie bins" can be used to harrass householders, through to the many examples of how confidential personal data has been lost by state officials.

I guess if there is a criticism here, it is that this book is mostly likely to be preaching to the converted, although I hope that even those who might be quite sympathetic to the Labour Party might have pause to wonder why things have gone wrong for this administration. Even so, Dr Butler avoids hectoring his audience or assuming that they all share his preconceptions. Up to a point, though, this book will tend to put off anyone who views society, economics and politics through mostly statist lenses. But if Dr Butler had to explain his philosophy and economics from first principles, he would have had to write a much longer book.

Dr Butler clearly demonstrates that classical liberalism is more than just about economics, but about freedom in every aspect of human life. I hope this book inspires those in opposition to this government to start addressing some of the many problems it addresses. They have a lot of work to do.

One person found this helpful

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A. I. Dodge

A good book about a rotten state...

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2009

The blunt title is not just an attention getter for this book, but a statement of fact. Butler truly describes how bad things have gotten in the UK under current Labour government led by Gordon Brown. While many of the problems began under Blair he explains how they have accelerated under the current Prime Minister.

The book sets out to detail all the various aspects of life that have worsened under Labour ranging from personal freedom thru taxation to the most basic provisions of health in the NHS. Dr Butler effectively prepares anyone who wishes to perforate the continued assertion that Britain is in its current state because of Conservative administration that ended over a decade ago.

He details the insidious nature of the politicalization by the Labour Party of all parts of the bureaucracy of British governance. Instead of unelected faceless bureaucrats there are party apparatchniks meddling in every aspect to make sure it meets with the Labour plan for Britain. In the greatest of ironies all those things that were criticized by Labour in opposition have been seized on an amped up under Labour.

A crumbling economy, infrastructure and place in the world continues to demonstrate Labour course to repeat the disasters of Labour controlled 1970s.

This book is both enlightening and wholly depressing for those who admire the UK. New Labour promised so much only to deliver far worse.

While Dr. Butler is not that keen on the current Conservative solution to New Labour, he does offer sage advice to all those willing to consider his ideas. If the Conservatives adopted his plan for their next manifesto they might have a good chance of sorting out the current mess.

4 people found this helpful

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Neil Osborne

New Labour's Broken Promises

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2018

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In this book, written in 2009, Eamonn Butler has outlined some of the many failures of the New Labour government. Most striking to the reader is that in virtually every field of government involvement, whether it be health, education, welfare, crime etc, New Labour spent much more money than its Conservative predecessors, yet many of the old problems remained, or worsened.

Eamonn Butler is at his best in his critique of government corruption, something that Labour had promised to stamp out. On the other hand, the weakest thing about his book is his inability to view the British as anything other than a group of individuals. If you view the British as a nation with a collective culture and values then a book more suited to you might be The Abolition of Britain.

New Labour said “Things can only get better” in 1997. The truth is that they inherited a benign economic environment and the best foreign policy environment since at least the 1920s, which should have given rise to a period of peace and prosperity. New Labour would be laughable if the consequences of their government weren’t so awful.

One person found this helpful

Arron Tolan

Illuminating beyond description

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2017

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A political and social Rubicon was crossed during the New Labour years and this tome serves as a wonderfully acerbic analysis of precisely why that should concern the average Briton so much, and why those concerns should be kept in mind at the ballot-box in future elections.

For it can seem too often that, in the minds of the public, the battle between Left and Right in politics is brought down solely to Economics - people seemingly feeling that all other things are at least somewhat equal - in this polemic Butler beautifully illustrates the fallacious nature of such dire misconceptions. The author painstakingly lays out and critiques every policy decision, shady-dealing & misstep of a government which - steered by Brown & Blair - felt it could do no wrong as long as it strode forth into doom "for the sake of The People"

Highly recommended - even though the subject matter is now somewhat 'old news'

One person found this helpful

david bowen

Rotten but not Broken

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2014

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HaHa! Now I see how Gordon did it. What an eyeopener! However, although the current lot appear to be recovering the perilous situation in our nation - I see why most of the damage is irrecoverable. And the medicine is for some worse than the disease - Gordon and obviously Blair may claim 'unintended consequences', but the control at the centre now appears to be unstoppable.Britain may have got some world respect back since the book was written - but we still have no respect for our own bankers, who, even now, receive bonuses more than their salaries. Just like our MPs (particularly ministers) - they have no idea they should be responding to constituents needs not their whips - spin doctors still rule the roost. If they were as honest as this book is, this nation would be less rotten, and Eamonn Butler would be able to write a follow up to this revealing book - I certainly enjoyed and learnt a lot from it.

5 people found this helpful

Steve Hewitt

certainly he made some appalling errors and helped to mess up the country alongside his best 'frenemy' Tony Blair

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2015

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An interesting book, marred by typing errors. It's sub-title is a little harsh on Gordon Brown; certainly he made some appalling errors and helped to mess up the country alongside his best 'frenemy' Tony Blair. But, to be fair, British politicians have been ruining the country for decades. Too many of them, in all the main political parties, come from an affluent, public-school/Oxbridge background and have little understanding of the real world in which most of us struggle to survive. Quite why anyone would think that a politician with a doctorate in history was ever going to be a brilliant Chancellor has always baffled me. He wasn't, nor was he a good Prime Minister. But along the way, he had plenty of help from Tony Blair, Ed Balls, Peter Mandelson and Alistair Campbell, to name but a few. They built on the Thatcher/Major legacy and continued the trend towards centralist Government, rammed through the politicisation of the once independent Civil Service and fostered the relentless growth of the nanny state. Oh, and it is ironic that a book which correctly chastises New Labour for spin and deception should, at times, use the same techniques to support it's own message!

One person found this helpful

RB

A very informative book, should be required reading as a warning to future generations

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2015

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Eamonn Butler really does lift the lid on the atrocious skullduggery undertaken routinely by the Blair / Brown partnership. This book is a very easy read, being split into short sections within each chapter. The book does describe very well the low levels to which the last Labour government dragged the country; their total abuse of position is frightening when presented coolly, as it in these pages. I had always known Britain was changing dramatically for the worst during their tenure in No.10, but I hadn't fully taken in just how low British politics had sunk. From the systematic manipulation of the media, (printed and broadcast), corruption of the civil service and general dropping of standards within the wider political establishment, they were responsible for the total collapse in basic standards of morality in political life. (Also, it should be remembered, their complete wrecking of our economy). I would definitely advise anyone who despairs of the abysmal quality of the current British political classes, to get a copy of this book, read it and pass it on to as many people as they possibly can. The only downside to the book is the feeling of total despair at the hopeless state our country now finds itself in, largely as a result of the 'criminal' 13 years of this government.

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