Nice send off for Ralph Coates
Just back from a celebration of Ralph Coates’ life at St Stephen’s Church in Enfield, followed by a nice do at White Hart Lane. Big turnout and some terrific tributes from Dave Merrington and Martin Dobson...
Read MoreAuthor: Alastair Campbell
All hail Olli Issakeinen, the Finnish fib-watcher on Osborne’s case
It is one thing to have a following for writing a blog. Far more impressive, surely, is to have a following for being a regular commenter on a blog. Yet that is what is clearly happening to our Finnish friend Olli Issakeinen,...
Read MoreEd Miliband landed a blow yesterday. Now bigger arguments have to be demolished and built
There was a tiny hint of desperation in the voice of George Osborne’s response to Ed Miliband’s rather effective attack over the Tories’ VAT rise yesterday. ‘The question Ed Milliband faces is this: if...
Read MoreGood hype (Ed Miliband speech tomorrow) and bad hype (The Archers)
Hype can be a very dangerous business, and The Archers is the latest commodity to find itself damaged by it. I am not an Archers’ fan, but Fiona is and yesterday, the biggest anticipation of the day was not celebration of...
Read MoreBoth governing parties deserve to be punished for Tory by-election pull-out
I know that we are into a new and different sort of politics, what with two parties forming the government and all that, but the bigger of those two parties really is taking the mick in the Oldham East and Saddleworth...
Read MoreMy Latest Book
But What Can I Do?
Why politics has gone so wrong, and how you can help fix it
by
Alastair Campbell
"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.