I don’t know if Malcolm Tucker is to be killed off now that the coalition has replaced Labour, or if a new coalition version may replace him, but if the latter is the case, he/she and its scriptwriters may want to be aware...
Read MoreThe great thing about writing a blog, as opposed to a newspaper column, or an editorial, is that when you can’t be arsed, you don’t have to. One of the many bad things about our papers is that there are too many...
Read MoreAs I got very wet cycling round and round the Emirates Stadium this morning, I was pondering whether a man could have got away with calling Danny Alexander a ‘ginger rodent.’ Maybe – that was the conclusion I...
Read MoreI only agreed to do the Chester Literature Festival because it was on a Friday night and I reckoned there would be a good chance Burnley would be at home on the Saturday. A calculated guess rather banjaxed by the fixtures...
Read MoreTo deepest Cleggland last night, and if Mark Mardell thinks Barack Obama has disillusion problems, he should get himself to Sheffield for some of the real thing. I was speaking at the University Students’ Union, as part of...
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.