The Dark Knight and the Puppet Master

Richly nuanced, the most stimulating book I have read on Labour in ages. – Martin Kettle * The Guardian *
A brilliant book … a reading of left-wing politics that suggests a road ahead. – John Rentoul * Independent *
Wide-ranging, clever and original, it’s a vital read for anyone interested in not just left populism, but any sort of populism at all. – Andrew Sparrow * The Guardian *
A splendid critique of left-wing populism and Labour’s electoral woes … a thesis that convincingly accounts for the defeats of leaders as outwardly disparate as Michael Foot, Neil Kinnock and Ed Miliband, not to mention Jeremy Corbyn and, perhaps ultimately, his successor. – James O’Brien * Times Literary Supplement *
Chris Clarke’s thought-provoking examination of the populist issues that have bedevilled the modern left is a bracing corrective to complacency. This dismantling of myths and memes alike, along with dispelling the belief that the left has any kind of monopoly on morality, is an essential read and a reminder that Keir Starmer has quite a job on his hands. – Alexander Larman * The Observer *
The best book written about the Labour Party in recent years … a must read for those of us wanting the Labour Party to become once again a Party of Government. – Douglas Alexander, former Minister of State for Trade
A highly original take on Labour mythology and how this impacts the party’s ability to connect with the voters … offers one of the most innovative explanations of how Labour has lost its way over the past decade. – Anthony Broxton * The Critic *

Chris Clarke is an experienced social researcher and political writer, with particular experience in the fields of public opinion, trust in politics, community cohesion and the role of place.

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