Reckless Opportunists ― Elites at the End of the Establishment

The Summer of 2016 revealed a crisis in Britain's political, economic and media elite. Once successful leaders were dropping everywhere. These multiple crises at the top are no coincidence. The roots go back several years. We have been producing a generation of leaders who, regardless of intent, are short-term, precarious, ignorant, un-rooted and self-serving. This isn't a matter of a few deficient personalities. It's a structural problem that has developed over decades.

The central theme of the book is that: the British elite has lost control. They can earn more than ever before and their decisions have powerful consequences that are widely felt. They are highly skilled when it comes to pursuing their own self-interests. But, they are also rather less able to exert control or predict the consequences of their actions. What is best for them can often be bad for their organisation, their employees or publics. These failings have an increasingly devastating effect on society and the wider public.

Aeron Davis is Professor of Political Communication and Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Centre (PERC) at Goldsmiths, University of London