As I said yesterday, it is not easy to edit a third of a million words down to a couple of double page newspaper spreads. So I am not at all critical of The Guardian for the choices they have made in running extracts of the...
Read MoreThe Guardian asked me to plug their paper for the morning .. so dear readers, go out and get The Guardian tomorrow. Done. Despite it being a Lib Dem paper, I chose The Guardian to run extracts from volume 2 of my diaires, Power...
Read MoreLadies and gentlemen, at the risk of appearing arrogant and boastful about my own considerable skills and experience in political strategy, may I take you back to my blog of January 2, headlined Both governing parties deserve to...
Read MoreI’ve only been to Davos once, with the then PM TB, and can’t say I enjoyed it much. All a bit ‘look how important I am, I’m at Davos,’ and all a bit gigantic cocktail party full of people looking...
Read MoreNick Clegg talked the other day of how the bankers are living in a ‘parallel universe’ if they think they can get away with massive bonuses. Now, as the bankers prepare to get away with massive bonuses, it is Mr...
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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.