'A compelling portrait of early 21st-century casino capitalism ... essential reading.' - The Times On 13 September 2007, Robert Peston broke the news that Northern Rock had become a victim of the global credit crunch and was seeking an emergency loan from the Bank of England. It was the latest in a long line of scoops by this award-winning journalist. Over the weeks that followed, the Government found itself exposed to the Rock to the tune of £57 billion, or almost £2000 for every taxpayer. As Robert Peston shows in this fascinating book, the seeds for the collapse of Northern Rock and the upheavals in the financial markets were sown years before. Who Runs Britain? is the first time anyone has drawn all the threads together to weave a story that's rich in extraordinary characters and outrageous feats of economic bravado. This book is about the widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of us. It explores and explodes the myth that the financial creativity of those who are amassing these vast fortunes is good for the wider economy and for all of us. Whether you're a financial expert or just have a bank account, Who Runs Britain? is a book you must read.