The Establishment

Book excerpt: A major bestseller in the UK and a six-time Best Book of 2014, The Establishment is a sweeping look at how power and money have made British politics hugely undemocratic. Power, money, and undemocratic politics—wait, does that sound familiar? Who wields power in politics? It is a question that's asked all too often—and never really answered. But that's exactly what Owen Jones has done in The Establishment, which has already taken Great Britain by storm. To expose the shadowy and unaccountable network of people who dominate British political life—the people who influence major decisions and reap huge profits in the process—Owen Jones sets out on a journey into the very heart of the elite. From the lobbies of the Houses of Parliament to Rupert Murdoch's newsrooms to the conference rooms of some of the world's biggest banks, Jones systematically explores the revolving doors that link the worlds of politics, media, and finance—and shows how this corrupt and incestuous world came to be. Funny, sharp, and rich with brilliant descriptions of the men and women at the heart of the elite, The Establishment is a joy to read, but its diagnosis is deadly serious: the establishment is the biggest threat to democracy today. And it's time, writes Jones, for it to be challenged.