WEST SUSSEX, UK. September 14th, 2026: A new audiobook from author Alan Hodgkiss is using one man’s deeply personal experience of caring for his late wife to question the way politics works in the UK, calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham and political leaders to put the needs of citizens ahead of party competition.
The Party’s Over is presented as an open letter to the Prime Minister and explores what Hodgkiss believes are wider failures within the systems designed to support older people, people with disabilities and their families. The audiobook draws heavily on his experiences caring for his late wife Rita, who lived with mixed dementia before suffering a fatal stroke last year.
One of the issues explored in the book is the legal restriction on tandem mobility scooters being used on public pavements and roads. Hodgkiss says the restriction made it difficult for him and Rita to maintain their independence and spend time together outside the home during the final years of her life.
He argues that the issue extends beyond his own circumstances, affecting thousands of couples who do not have access to a car or cannot afford to rely on taxis whenever they want to travel together or enjoy a day out.
The audiobook also examines the difficulties faced by elderly couples who want to remain together when one or both partners require residential care. Hodgkiss recounts receiving quotes ranging from £1,000 a week for the option of sleeping on a chair at the foot of his dying wife’s bed, to £1,500 a week for a separate room within the same care home.
According to Hodgkiss, these experiences point to broader problems within the UK’s health and social care systems. He argues that political parties can become more focused on opposing one another than addressing issues affecting the health, welfare and quality of life of the people they represent.
The book draws a historical comparison with George Washington’s 1796 Farewell Address, in which the first President of the United States warned about the dangers of political “factions” and the potential for party interests to take precedence over the public good.
“I wrote this book because I could not stand by and watch the same things happen to other couples,” Alan Hodgkiss said. “Time is precious, especially for people living with dementia or disability. I will devote the rest of my life to fighting for a government system that puts its citizens before itself.”
“The Party’s Over” is now available from most major audiobook retailers, including Chirp.
