The Abuse of Power: Confronting Injustice in Public Life (Paperback) - Theresa May

Former Prime Minister Theresa May exposes the abuse of power by public institutions and politicians in a series of riveting first-hand accounts from her time in office.

'I strongly agree with the central message of [the] book...that we need a sense of moral compass in politics... Put together it's pretty shocking' Rory Stewart on The Rest is Politics: Leading

As Prime Minister and Home Secretary, Theresa May came face-to-face with a series of issues in which the abuse of power led to devastating results for individuals and significantly damaged the trust in public institutions and politicians. From the Grenfell tragedy to parliamentary scandals, the powerful repeatedly chose to act not in the interests of the powerless but in ways that served themselves.

The Abuse of Power is a searing expose of injustice and an impassioned call to exercise power for the greater good. Drawing on examples from domestic and international affairs she was personally involved in at the highest level, the former prime minister argues for a radical rethink in how we approach our politics and public life.

'A serious-minded study of scandals in which vulnerable people were failed by those in authority' Guardian Best Politics Books of 2023

'The book will reinforce the view that May was a politician of conviction and compassion' Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times

'A valuable read' Charlotte Ivers, Times Best Politics and Current Affairs Books of 2023

About the Author

Theresa May has served as the MP for Maidenhead since 1997. She was a member of the Shadow Cabinet from 1999 to 2010, and from 2002 to 2003 she was the first female Chairman of the Conservative Party. She was appointed Home Secretary in 2010 and became the longest-serving Conservative Home Secretary for over a century. She served as Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019. The Abuse of Power is her first book.