Tim Bale is Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London, having taught previously at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and Sussex University. He has published widely on party politics, particularly in Britain and Europe, including The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron, which won the WJM McKenzie Prize for the Best Book Published in 2010, and he has written for the Financial Times, the Guardian, the Observer and the Telegraph, as well as contributing to television and radio shows both in the UK and overseas.

"Tim Bale's account of Ed Miliband's leadership of Labour is comprehensive and authoritative--an essential guide to understanding the 2015 general election."--Charles Clarke

"A thorough and witty account of how Labour ended up where it is today, from victories and mistakes to nitty gritty data."--The Spectator

"Tim Bale has written an authoritative and revelatory account of Ed Miliband's leadership, one that challenges a number of fashionable assumptions. He also casts much needed light on the wider Labour Party after its fall from power in 2010. The book is a must read for all those who want to understand what a Miliband led government might be like."--The Independent

"This crisp and penetrating analysis shines new light on Labour's striving for the historically near-impossible--a return to power after just one term in opposition. Ed Miliband as potential prime minister emerges as a new figure, under-examined in the cacophany of his detractors. A gripping read, Bale balances sharp style and insight with invaluable research rigour."--The Guardian

"In Five Year Mission, Tim Bale seals his reputation as Britain's finest political scholar. The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand Ed Miliband's strategy, record and claim to be Prime Minister. Bale's command of policy, personality and their inter-action is exemplary. A superb book."--Matthew dAncona, columnist, The Guardian and Evening Standard