Number 10: A Novel

Sue Townsend's obtuse satire of the Blair administration lacks critical elements of satire: humour, insight, and relevance. As a fan of the Adrian Mole books, I was profoundly disappointed in this lacklustre effort which casts the British Prime Minister as a cross-dressing, opinionless politico who lacks the moral courage to do anything at all. The targets are obvious (the protagonist is named Edward Clare - how odd that it rhymes with Tony Blair) and is the leader of New Labour, a party in search of a platform. His advisors decree that he is to be given a respite from his duties and send him off with a police officer to essentially tour the country and learn from 'common folk' what is wrong with, and what should be done about Britain in the new millenium. Along the way Townsend attacks capitalism, the United States, the war on terror, politics in general, and the state of the U.K., but her jabs lack a pointedness that would make this book more than a dull screed. The only people I can imagine enjoying this book are those on the far left of the political spectrum, because their views (e.g. communism) are viewed to be the antidote to the poison that is afflicting Britain. None of the characters are admirable or likeable - the only one that comes close is the Muslim taxi driver who acts as their chauffeur, but even he is shown to have flexible ethics (he drinks wine because the others are . . . no other reason). Generally a waste of time.