Fiona Hill

Fiona Hill first attracted widespread attention when she appeared as a witness at the first Trump impeachment. Here was this calm, controlled women, clearly intelligent and principled, testifying to Trump’s perversion of power - in a clear Wearside accent.

Her story is remarkable, and now she’s told it, in a magnificent book. “There is nothing for you here” is not a piece of despondent gloom. It’s part memoir, taking as its title what her father said about her future. She took him at his word, went to the States, became a Russian expert, and ended up a senior adviser at the White House. So, a success story about a brilliant solo climb. But it wasn’t, as she’s well aware. It was helped by a number of crucial factors - good luck, personal will power, contacts, smart advice…a complex set of circumstances, which no longer apply.

In Bishop Auckland, the US and Russia she sees the same pattern - the collapse of industry and jobs, the opportunity for populist politicians to exploit the anger and despair of people left behind - even though the promised solutions don’t actually meet the need. Better still, she has a series of proposals about practical steps a range of people could take, depending on their position and circumstances. Analysing carefully, and working together, we could actually change how things look, not just for a lucky few, but for all kids hoping to find a future. Not the sort of book you read every day.