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Members Behaving Badly: A History of Britain in 52 Parliamentary Rogues

by Debbie Kilroy

Hardback £22
Published 19th February 2026
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Description

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They say today’s politicians have never behaved so badly. History tells a very different story…

‘Funny, eye-opening and jaw-dropping.’ CHARLIE HIGSON

 

Long before expenses scandals, Partygate and headlines about sleaze, Britain’s MPs were gambling away fortunes, fighting duels, staging kidnappings, abusing their power – and occasionally getting away with murder.

In Members Behaving Badly, historian Debbie Kilroy tells the story of Britain through fifty-two of the most outrageous rogues ever to sit in Parliament. From drunken aristocrats exposing themselves on tavern balconies to corrupt ministers whose greed helped spark revolutions, here are the scandals, feuds, disasters and astonishing acts of misconduct that shaped the nation.

Packed with unforgettable characters, dark humour and extraordinary true stories, discover four centuries of British history at its most riotously disreputable.

Perfect for readers who enjoy history with wit, pace and plenty of astonishing facts, Members Behaving Badly reveals that Westminster has always been full of larger-than-life characters – and that some things never change.

 

If you enjoyed Unruly, A History of Britain in 10 Enemies or The Rest Is History, prepare to meet the MPs who made history… for all the wrong reasons.

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‘Deliciously scandalous.’ Daily Mail

‘Thoroughly entertaining.’ Jonathan Healey

‘A riot of malfeasance and misbehaviour’ Roger Moorhouse

Details

Members Behaving Badly: A History of Britain in 52 Parliamentary Rogues
by Debbie Kilroy

ISBN
9781783969388

Publisher
Elliott & Thompson Limited

Binding
Hardback

Publication date
Feb. 19, 2026

Excerpt