Beyond a Fringe

Winner of the Parliamentary Book Awards 2021 Best Biography, Memoir or Autobiography

Veering from the hilarious to the tragic, Andrew Mitchell’s tales from the parliamentary jungle make for one of the most entertaining political memoirs in years.

From his prep school years, straight out of Evelyn Waugh, through the army to Cambridge, the City of London and the Palace of Westminster, Mitchell has passed through a series of British institutions at a time of furious social and political change – in the process becoming rather more cynical about the British Establishment. Here, he reflects on the perils and pleasures of loyalty, whether to a party, to individuals or to one’s own principles.

He brilliantly lifts the lid on the dark arts of the government Whips’ Office (‘Whipping, like stripping, is best done in private’) and reveals how he accidentally started Boris Johnson’s political career and later naively backed him to be Prime Minister – an act which rebounded on him spectacularly.

Engagingly honest about his ups and downs in politics, Beyond a Fringe is crammed with hilarious political anecdotes and irresistible insider gossip from the heart of Westminster.

'This is an unusual memoir – honest, self-deprecating and rich in anecdote. A fundamental streak of decency runs throughout.' – Chris Mullin, The Spectator

'One of the several merits of this highly engaging memoir is the light it shines, often entertainingly and sometimes shockingly, on how ghastly that establishment can be.' – Andrew Rawnsley, The Guardian

'A wonderfully funny book.' – Daily Telegraph

' A cracking good read – full of mischief and shrewd observation' – Gyles Brandreth

'With a wry self-awareness and sense of the ludicrous, this is a thoroughly refreshing personal and political memoir.' – Bob Geldof

'Honest and insightful, Beyond a Fringe taught me loads I didn’t know about how the other side works. A brilliant read.' – Jess Phillips