Hardman, Isabel

As one of the country’s leading political journalists, Isabel Hardman has spent many years in that bizarre rabbit-warren we call the Houses of Parliament. She’s conducted thousands of interviews with MPs ranging from fresh-faced recruits to Prime Ministers. With some notable exceptions, she has found them to be decent, hard-working people, doing a hugely difficult and demanding job. And yet, politicians are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public – below estate agents, lawyers and journalists. And every year, MPs collectively introduce new legislation that doesn’t do what it sets out to achieve – often with terrible financial and human costs.