William Waldegrave

Post-Brexit referendum Britain faces its most profound crisis of modern times: our trust in our key political institutions, which have ably steered the country through turbulent waters in the past – the Bank of England, Civil Service, the Law, Parliament itself has – is wavering. And our national narrative, our sense of ourselves, has been badly damaged.

In Three Circles Into One, former Cabinet Minister William Waldegrave takes a clear-eyed analysis of where Britain stands – how we got here, and what the future might hold. What did membership of the European Union really mean? Did Britain really understand what it signed up to? And, whatever the outcome of Brexit, as these largely fictional ‘Three Circles’ of the past fade out how do we create a new narrative for Britain?

William Waldegrave, former Cabinet Minister under Thatcher and Major, with experience of Whitehall reaching back to the government of Edward Heath delineates three serious possibilities and one fantasy. None is easy to swallow. But only by facing the future with honesty can we find a narrative to live by. Without a new narrative we cannot craft new trusted institutions.
Three Circles into One analyses our national self-inflicted catastrophe: how it cam eabout, where it might lead, and how to steer a future path.

“Whatever happens about Brexit, Britain is going to change forever. We will have to decide what kind of country we want to be. We will need a new national narrative. I want to start people thinking about all our futures.”