For the umpteenth time, Baroness Warsi, ‘we don’t do God’ was not a major strategic statement, but an attempt to bring to an end an interview in which an American journalist was asking ‘one final...
Read MoreThis will not be the last time I write about the Olympics. Excitement is growing. Today the Games Maker volunteer scheme is launched. Though the Games may benefit the Tories politically, I still hope and believe they will be the best ever. Blog also contains musings on last night’s football, including my hand of God moment
Read MoreRound one to the unions, I would say, in the battle to get themselves into the cuts debate on their terms rather than those of a media itching to portray them as some dreadful throwback to the past, or a coalition that wants to...
Read MoreIt is possible to feel in the build up to the annual gathering of the TUC the media desire to generate a sense of some good old-fashioned industrial strife. Union leaders need to be careful though; not to allow media (still...
Read MoreYou’ve really got to love Piers Morgan … Oh ok, you don’t, and I realised even as I was typing the words that ‘you’ve really got to love Piers Morgan’ can take its place among the more idiotic...
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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.