Having ranted and raved (moderately) whenever credit rating agencies have delivered their Deus Ex Cathedra pronouncements on other European economies, I intend to do so again now that they have turned their attention to Britain....
Read MoreI had been hoping to do a post-Question Time blog yesterday, but events conspired against me. The first, and saddest, was the funeral of Nigel Doughty, to whom I posted a tribute here on Wednesday. It was a really beautiful...
Read MoreUnless I have bumped into him at a Test Match, I don’t recall meeting Australian sports commentator Glenn Mitchell. But I couldn’t resist posting this piece he wrote, which was sent to me on twitter via Green Party...
Read MoreAs has just been announced at the High Court, News Group Newspapers have admitted that the News of the World intercepted messages on my mobile phone in 2006, and have apologised and agreed to pay damages and costs for the...
Read MoreFootball has lost two of its best club leaders this week, Nottingham Forest’s Nigel Doughty to death, and Burnley’s Barry Kilby to illness. Barry is a personal friend who loves Burnley, and unlike other chairman...
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by
"Your country needs you. Your world needs you. Your time is now."
Our politics is a mess. We have leaders who can't or shouldn't be allowed to lead. We endure governments that lie, and seek to undermine our democratic values. And we are confronted with policies that serve the interests of the privileged few. It's no surprise that so many of us feel frustrated, let down and drawn to ask, 'But what can I do?' That question is the inspiration behind this book. It's a question regularly posed to Alastair Campbell, not least in reaction to The Rest is Politics, the chart-topping podcast he presents with former Tory Cabinet minister Rory Stewart. His answer, typically, is forthright and impassioned. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. If we think things need to change, then we need to change them, and that means getting involved. But What Can I Do? provides each of us with the motivation and the tools to make a difference. Opening with an acute analysis of our polarised world and the populists and extremists who have shaped it, it goes on to show how we help transform it. It explains how we can develop our skills of advocacy and persuasion. It draws on Alastair’s long experience, as well as on role models and lessons from history, to offer practical tips on starting and leading a campaign. It offers advice on developing confidence and coping with criticism and setbacks. And it sets out the practical steps by which we can become political players ourselves. Part call to arms, part practical handbook, But What Can I Do? will prove required reading for anyone who wants to help change things for the better.