One of the questions I faced constantly in Belfast yesterday was whether I thought Martin McGuinness would be an acceptable first minister of Northern Ireland. The question is being asked because of the possibility that Sinn...
Read MoreBusy busy yesterday, no time to blog, but I hope you caught up on the Mail’s latest piece of villainy. Journalism is a competitive trade, but to pass yourself off as a competitor, when said competitor has just gone into...
Read MoreYou don’t need to be in Ireland for long to know there is an election on, and that politicians aren’t exactly flavour of the month. The Irish are into their politics at the best of times and with these, post IMF...
Read MoreSometimes you just know something is going to go wrong. Greetings from the Aer Lingus lounge at Heathrow, where I am waiting for the next flight to Dublin, the one I was on having been cancelled. I didn’t know what it...
Read MoreAs I was reading about Egypt weaving and now fighting its way towards change yesterday, into my inbox popped an email from an Eritrean. It reminded me that I was one of the few people from the UK ever to have met Isaias...
Read More
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.