Greetings from Lake Megunticook. Those of you who read my second novel, Maya, may have heard of it. It is the place in Maine, New England, where the narrator, Steve, came to write the story of his friendship with Maya. In a...
Read MoreThe Labour Party’s media monitoring brief is, as I have mentioned before, a superb piece of work. It can sometimes be a ltttle misleading however, particularly when read overseas. As I read it this morning in the US, and...
Read MoreSay ‘Conservative blogger’ in the UK and you probably think of an Iain Dale or a Tim Montgomerie, or any number of avowed Tory supporters who have adapted to the changed media and political landscape and found their...
Read MoreAs David Cameron works away in the US – gee what a Big Society that is – let us consider what we learned from yesterday’s (re)launch of his Big Society back home. We learned that his favourite Grange Hill...
Read MoreTo the Tricycle theatre in Kilburn last night to see no fewer than nine plays under the banner ‘Women, Power and Politics’. It was the final night, so unless someone decides to invest in taking them to the West End...
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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.