Taken as Red cover art

Taken as Red

How Labour Won Big and the Tories Crashed the Party

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Taken as Red

By: Anushka Asthana
Narrated by: Anushka Asthana
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

One of the New Statesman's 20 Best Books of 2024

How Labour took power, how the Tories lost it, and what to expect

'Taken As Red stands out for its balance and the depth of its reporting' The Guardian

'Revelatory and insightful.' Tim Shipman

In Taken As Red acclaimed political journalist Anushka Asthana takes us behind the scenes of the 2024 general election campaign.

As the political landscape undergoes a seismic shift, this gripping account provides an unprecedented insider’s perspective on the inner workings of Keir Starmer’s Labour and Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, and the events of this high-stakes electoral contest as it unfolded.

With unparalleled access to key players and exclusive insights, it delves into the strategic decisions, campaign dynamics and unexpected twists that defined the election. From the battle bus to the corridors of power, Asthana analyses just how the result came about. Was it evidence of Labour’s strategic brilliance or the inevitable result of a spiralling decline of trust in the Tories? And what of Reform’s role?

Lively, analytical and compelling, Taken As Red reveals the calculated gambles and innovative strategies at play, and the people behind them. And in doing so, it looks forward as well as back.

Featuring exclusive interviews with more than 100 political insiders including Rachel Reeves, Wes Streeting, Kwasi Kwarteng and Nigel Farage.

©2024 Anushka Asthana (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Elections & Political Process Great Britain Political Science Politicians
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Out cover art
Strangeland cover art
No Way Out cover art
Unhinged: A Parody cover art
Downfall cover art
Great Britain? cover art
Trump in Exile cover art
The Coming Storm cover art
Four Chancellors and a Funeral cover art
Blue Murder cover art
Winston Churchill cover art
Turning Points cover art
This Time No Mistakes cover art
The Tories cover art
Tony Benn at the BBC cover art
Keir Starmer cover art

Critic reviews

‘The swiftest “first draft of history” to land, a comprehensive exploration into everything that led to Keir Starmer marching into Downing Street … Packed with detail and meticulously sourced. … An invaluable resource.’ New Statesman

‘Anushka Asthana's storytelling, contacts and analysis are second to none. This is an unmissable political book.’ Robert Peston

'Interesting reading for all armchair politicians.' The Sun *****

‘Anushka knows all the key players intimately, but never forgets that the most important thing is to understand the voters. With her expertise, insight and empathy, plus her tenacious reporting skills, there are few journalists better placed to write this book.’ Katharine Viner

'You won’t find a more meticulously researched account of the election.' Paul Brand

'A brilliant woman and journalist – and now author.' Pippa Crerar

‘A superb account of recent political history … Essential reading.’ John Rentoul

'Impeccable analysis and access told with humanity by a journalist who has it all.' Daniel Hewitt

‘What makes this book really interesting is it shows how a campaign feels to a journalist when the cameras are off.’ Tom Baldwin

‘One of the best political reporters out there – as comfortable delivering top-level analysis from Westminster as she is reporting human stories around the country. This book is a must-read.’ Esme Wren

‘Anushka writes with authority, ease, warmth and intellect. A masterful interviewer, and an utterly brilliant storyteller.’ Charlene White

'Full of telling descriptive points … provides as thorough an account of Labour’s election victory as you’re likely to find.’ LabourList

‘A vividly written page-turner. … All students of Starmerism would do well to examine this book closely and take heed.’ The House

What listeners say about Taken as Red

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Insightful and perceptive

I liked the refreshingly detailed and non tribal analysis from an excellent journalist and comedian.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting and entertaining

As a devoted UK politics nerd, this didn’t tell me anything new, but it was an entertaining summary of the madness of recent times. The author narrates it perfectly. Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!