Flying into Heathrow at the weekend, I was struck once more by the beauty and the power to inspire of the nascent Olympic stadium. If it can do that now, a year and a half ahead of the event, imagine what it will feel like to be...
Read MoreThere is something seriously creepy about the WikiLeaks guy whose name I always mix up with Nigel Farage (I’ve always had trouble with my Nigels and my Julians); and something unsufferably sanctimonious about journalists...
Read MoreAt Glasgow airport yesterday, I got chatting to a woman working in one of the bookshops who wondered how I thought the proximity of the Royal Wedding so close to elections would play out. Not entirely sure is the answer. It is...
Read MoreDespite a chest infection (the doctor said it was much worse than man flu but I just keep on keeping on manfully) I had a thoroughly enjoyable time at Glasgow University last night. I was the guest speaker at the annual...
Read MoreIf politics occasionally puts you between a rock and a hard place, then that is exactly where Irish PM Brian Cowen finds himself right now. There is no joy whatever in the position he holds, nor the options that confront him. I...
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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.