Get in - by Gabriel Pogrund & Patrick Maguire (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The explosive, definitive, behind-the-scenes account of Labour and its general election in 2024, from the authors of Left Out

Drawing on their unrivalled access throughout the Labour party, the Times and Sunday Times investigative duo behind Left Out nowpresent the explosive inside story of Labour's transformation and general election under Starmer.

This is the definitive telling of a momentous time for the party: either their election as the first Labour government since the Blair/Brown era, or a catastrophic mishandling of a huge lead in the opinion polls. Either way, the story centers on Starmer's relentless and single-minded pursuit of power, and on the inevitable turmoil and carnage as he expunges opponents and attempts to unite his party in the face of searingly divisive events.

Richly peopled with all of the major figures of Labour present and past, as well as with those pulling strings behind the scenes, this will ultimately be a must-read, warts-and-all picture of the new British government - or it will be the dramatic story of one of the most spectacular car-crashes in Labour's history and in contemporary British politics.

Review Quotes

[A] fascinating book-- "This England"

A fascinating new book . . . telling the inside story of Keir Starmer's leadership . . . shines a light on the relationship between leading politicians and their influential advisers--Andrew Grice "Independent"

A gripping story of raw politics and ruthless men from two of Britain's best young journalists--Helen Lewis

A gripping tale of how one man went from political obscurity to running the country - and took Keir Starmer along for the ride. The revelations made me gasp, wince and wonder how the next few years will unfold--Matt Chorley

A remarkable piece of journalism--Rory Stewart

A superb work of contemporary history which defines the Starmer premiership--Peter Oborne

A tale of fixes, fiddling and factionalism...brilliantly told... [and] great fun... It is no small achievement... Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund have popped the bonnet of a political party and exposed what lies beneath-- "House Magazine"

A well-researched and sourced account of the strategizing and infighting behind the victory - and provides a valuable portrait of people currently running Britain-- "Financial Times, *Summer Reads of 2025*"

An extraordinary story, brilliantly told . . . Through sweating their sources Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund have popped the bonnet of a political party and exposed what lies beneath--Jon Cruddas "Politics Home"

An impeccably sourced and enjoyably written history of Labour's rise to power by two of Westminster's sharpest young journalists--Sam Freedman "Times Literary Supplement"

As excruciating as it is insightful-- "Economist"

Compelling--John Harris "Guardian"

Comprehensive-- "Private Eye"

Detailed, scrupulously reported . . . Get In is invaluable for anyone wondering how on earth we got here . . . Revelations come thick and fast-- "Morning Star"

Fascinating . . . devastating . . . full of lively stories . . . this is certainly a book you need to read to understand this government--Andrew Marr "New Statesman"

Gripping, exhaustively researched and fast-paced . . . cutting one-liners . . . nuanced character studies . . . scenes are recreated novelistically . . . it reads as if the authors were alongside McSweeney and Starmer as they grappled with multiple crises--Jason Cowley "Sunday Times, *Book of the Week*"

Impeccably written, impeccably researched, impeccably sourced--Lewis Goodall "The News Agents"

Maguire and Pogrund . . . fish out the juicy niblets and scoops . . . revealing . . . [a] compelling account of what it took for Labour to get back, get in -- and what it will require to stay there--Anne McElvoy "Evening Standard"

Maguire's and Pogrund's account, rich in detail and replete with insider insights, provides a compelling, if contentious, narrative of Starmer's ascent... a valuable...record of a critical chapter in contemporary British political history-- "Money Week"

Pogrund and Maguire . . . bring it all to life . . . If you have questions about Starmer's budding reign . . . expect many of them to be answered--Kara Kennedy "Telegraph ****"

Revealing . . . pacy . . . dispassionate but informed . . . a cracking read--Robert Shrimsley "Financial Times"

Stuffed full of scoops, this is the moment-by-moment story of Labour's dramatic journey back to power, the plots and the personal relationships that drove Starmer into Downing Street, revealing who's really in charge--Laura Kuenssberg

The compelling story of how one intensely motivated man grabbed control of a broken party, eviscerated its left and ruthlessly reforged Labour into a power-hungry machine . . . extremely well-sourced . . . dramatic detail . . . a rattling tale terrifically well told--Andrew Rawnsley "Observer, *Book of the Week*"

There are revelations on virtually every page of this addictive and compelling book... Maguire and Pogrund are impressive political journalists'--Steve Richards "Literary Review"

This is an astonishing feat of journalism. The writers obtained a remarkable level of access, and in the end, you feel that this is as close to an accurate retelling of Starmer's rise as anyone could have given-- "Prospect"

Two bright young journalists on this paper give us the inside story of how Keir Starmer and Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff and the most interesting character in this account, fought the battle to win Labour back from the Corbynistas-- "Sunday Times, *Summer Reads of 2025*"

Two serious journalists who have provided an extraordinarily detailed and sometimes bloodstained account of Labour's transformation over the past five years--Tom Baldwin "Guardian"

Unsparing . . . Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund's brilliant new history of Labour's path back to power . . . [contains] so many golden nuggets . . . on almost every page . . . it gives you a depth and richness to understanding the tensions within the Starmer Project--Michael Gove "Spectator"

Utterly compelling . . . brilliant--Steve Richards "Not Another One"

Without question the political book of the year. With revelations on every page, Get In is the book about Keir Starmer we have all been waiting for, and it is impossible to fully understand this government unless you read it--Tim Shipman

About the Author

Patrick Maguire is a political columnist for The Times and senior political correspondent for Times Radio. He is a regular commentator on Labour politics for TV and radio and won the 2016 Anthony Howard Award for Young Journalists.
Gabriel Pogrund is Whitehall Editor at the Sunday Times. He was named Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards (2023). He won Scoop of the Year at the London Press Club Awards (2022) and was the Laurence Stern Fellow at the Washington Post in 2018.