This is a very funny (and extremely explicit) romp through the world of political intrigue following the machinations within a Conservative government in Westminster that is starting to fall apart owing to internal wrangling and dissension, with scandals (political and sexual) emerging on all sides. Well, I suppose that if I try very hard, I might just about be able to imagine such a scenario!

Cleo Watson has a strong political pedigree after having worked on President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012 and then served as a senior aide to two British Prime Ministers (Theresa May and Boris Johnson). I am inclined to suggest that the highly scurrilous nature of the book may be rooted more in the latter than the former of those two spells in No. 10.

The various storylines are so sinuous and intertwined that it is difficult to provide a coherent synopsis without straying quite heavily into spoiler territory. As someone who visits parliament a few times each week, I recognised Ms Watson’s descriptions of the locations, if not necessarily the behaviour, very clearly, which added to my enjoyment of the story.

Despite the explicit and uproarious content, this is a well written book, and the characters are developed clearly and strongly. ( )