I was slightly dreading my session at the Hay Festival last night. Such a long way to go (Wales, and the part of Wales that is motorwayphobic). Plus I was expecting the massed ranks of anti-war, anti-‘spin’...
Read MoreThere are a few grumbles online about David Cameron and Teresa May hotfooting it to Cumbria to meet victims and emergency services who dealt with the terrible tragedy there. But I think the visit is both understandable and...
Read MoreOMG, as the yoof says, if they (the BBC top brass of course) could see me now .. all alone in a BBC studio, sitting at a BBC computer, eating a BBC tuna melt. They’re very trusting these BBC people — I reckon if I...
Read MoreThis is not the first time, and will not be the last, that Israel finds itself at the centre of a raging storm, with words of condemnation from around the world heaped upon it. It is precisely because of such experience that the...
Read MoreAnd so, on this the day of publication of Prelude to Power, volume 1 of the AC diaries, covering 1994-1997, I bring you the news you have all being waiting for – the winner of the #neverhappendedunderlabour competition...
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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.