Saatchi and Saatchi and my part in their piss-up
I enjoyed seeing Maggie and her ministers at the Saatchis’ bash last night, but Labour strategist Philip Gould seemed the most on the ball about where politics may be heading.
Read MoreAuthor: Alastair Campbell
My golden rule on frenzy survival lost in mists of time
Many thanks to James Macintyre of the New Statesman for failing to shed any light on something I may or may not have said about how long it is possible for someone to survive a media frenzy. It appears that he spent considerable...
Read MoreThe trawlers can’t run away from the seagulls
Many many thanks to those who applied the term ‘Cantonesque’ to my phonehacking tweet yesterday. This is praise indeed in our household, though in this case undeserved. To recap, it said ‘Hope MPs don’t...
Read MoreFancy a night out with Kevin Spacey?
If so, check your diary and go to http://www.beatbloodcancers.org/kevinspacey I promise, as someone who has enjoyed a few nights out with Kevin Spacey, that you won’t regret the investment. What’s more, you will be...
Read MoreToo many phonehack questions unanswered – and not just for Number 10
The Coulson/phonehack saga is a story not just about him and Number 10, but about the role of the media more generally, and the role of the police.
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.