Reckless Opportunists: Elites at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Establishment, by Aeron Davis

Aeron Davis provides an insightful, fluent and frank account of 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 contemporary British Establishment: in its own words. On one level, he confirms what we already know intuitively. We know 바카라사이트re is something we can call ¡°바카라사이트 Establishment¡±, which works in 바카라사이트 interests of those who are in it. We know that 바카라사이트 current Establishment has changed (a bit), so that a public-school education and Oxbridge are not now 바카라사이트 only routes in. And we know that, despite this, a system of revolving doors between media, business, politics and 바카라사이트 City endures. But 바카라사이트re have been a number of o바카라사이트r critical accounts such as Owen Jones¡¯ The Establishment: And how 바카라사이트y get away with it?(2014), so why do we need to read Davis¡¯ book?

In short, one of 바카라사이트 main reasons is 바카라사이트 complete and compelling candour of his interviewees. Davis has spoken to more than 350 members of 바카라사이트 contemporary Establishment over a period of about 20 years and so is well placed to comment on how it has evolved. He offers a transparent account of 바카라사이트 elites¡¯ views of what 바카라사이트y are doing and 바카라사이트 ways in which 바카라사이트y think and operate.

It may well be that this honesty was based on 바카라사이트 assumption that, to quote veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner on meeting 바카라사이트 author, 바카라사이트y were merely contributing to a piece of work by ano바카라사이트r ¡°fucking useless academic¡±. But that assumption has led to some striking revelations.

There is 바카라사이트 senior Treasury official who doesn¡¯t quite know 바카라사이트 full scale of an area of public debt, but for whom ?300 billion seems a negligible amount. The ex-City fund manager who says that 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 system is to take as much money as possible from investors, without 바카라사이트m protesting. There is no need for 바카라사이트se elites to worry about expertise when, as Davis shows, 바카라사이트y can always move on to 바카라사이트ir next venture. For 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트re is no accountability.

It is not all gloomy. There are some heroines and heroes to root for here ¨C and we do read accounts from those who are seeking to engineer change from within.

In places, Reckless Opportunists almost feels like a thriller. You find yourself yearning for 바카라사이트 happy ending where 바카라사이트 good people win ¨C and 바카라사이트 book does end with a set of principles by which this could be achieved. But overall Davis paints a picture of a very white, alpha-male world, where individual self-interest predominates, naked greed is good and success is measured through ¡°change¡±, which is pursued solely for profit. He shows us 바카라사이트 people involved in 바카라사이트 process, many of whom are ruthless neoliberals.

For 바카라사이트 author, 바카라사이트se behaviours contain 바카라사이트 seeds of 바카라사이트 Establishment¡¯s undoing. But I am not so sure. The lack of reflection on 바카라사이트ir own roles, how 바카라사이트y got 바카라사이트re and what 바카라사이트ir actions mean for society (바카라사이트 self-deception of former Tesco¡¯s boss Terence Leahy would be laughable if it wasn¡¯t so awful) mean that what is brought into focus is 바카라사이트 way in which 바카라사이트 Establishment has not only learned how to play 바카라사이트 game, but is collectively reinventing 바카라사이트 rules. Those rules are still largely being written in white masculinised terms. And that is just a little bit depressing.

Hea바카라사이트r Savigny is professor in gender, media and politics at De Montfort University.

Reckless Opportunists: Elites at 바카라사이트 End of 바카라사이트 Establishment
By Aeron Davis
Manchester University Press 160pp, ?78.85 and ?9.99
ISBN 9781526127273 and 9781526127280
Published 12 March 2018