Brian Bean

Pro Bono Publico: the Rise and Rise of a Very Liberal Democracy Brian Bean

The timescale of the story is the period from the Labour party's landslide victory of 1945until the collapse of the Callaghan government in 1979 and Mrs Thatcher's accession to power. The two leading characters represent the parliamentary and judicial strands of the politicalconsensus that shaped the period, and describes how their pursuit of power has disastrousconsequences for their families and the country at large until the forces they have helpedunleash finally destroy both men. A sub-plot concerns the mysterious contagion that overtakes a number of trees in a localitycentral to the story, and parallels the country's social and economic decline as the two menadvance their respective careers. In narrative form, this factual account of a changing Britain sets the scene for a fictional taleof political chicanery, foreign intrigue and high finance that also contains elements of satire.