From Acorns to Oaks : An Urgent Agenda to Rebuild Britain by Michael Heseltine

When Michael Heseltine wrote his acclaimed autobiography, Lifein the Jungle, he assumed his political career was over. He returned toHaymarket, his publishing business, and, with his wife, Anne, intended toexplore more of the world and pursue more vigorously his passions outsidepolitics. The assumption was wrong. David Cameron called him,tentatively at first but gradually with increased responsibility, back to thecorridors of power. This second memoir is apot pourri of reminiscences of Heseltine's youth, early adulthood andpreviously unexplored aspects of his stellar political career. Among much else,his account of finding his home, creating his garden and his renowned arboretumand regenerating his village makes fascinating and compelling reading. But the main reason for Heseltine taking up his pen againhas been to look back on the fundamental changes he was able to mastermindwhile in power and to set out clearly and forcefully the policies that arestill urgently needed to continue to unite the country by driving growth,increasing prosperity and restoring hope. He contributed to the creation ofdirectly elected mayors in our biggest cities and to the regeneration ofMerseyside, central Manchester and London's East End. He privatised more partsof the public sector than any other minister and strongly supported theessential concept of an industrial strategy and a competitiveness agenda. Hereis evidence of what works, offering a way forward that any government shouldadopt. Heseltine was one of two Cabinet ministers who resigned overthe seismic Westland affair, a scandal the establishment had tried desperatelyto cover up. He now reveals new details of the disgraceful and dishonestbehaviour of some of those involved in the criminal conspiracy. Above all, the memoir emphasises his passionatedetermination not to give up after what he considers to be the grievous act ofpolitical self-harm inflicted on Britain by Brexit. He deplores the conspiracyof silence that has allowed the two major parties to avoid the subject underthe delusion that it is a done deal and irreversible. His message is crystalclear: we must restore Britain's position at the heart of Europe.
Binding: Hardback