For reasons to do with the fact that we spend a week each year in the Highlands, and that Charles Kennedy is a good bloke, we saw a bit of him and his wife Sarah shortly before the election campaign proper kicked off. Now that...
Read MoreAm back from Ireland, a bit tired after a late night after The Late Late Show. I do love the Irish, who seem to loathe the idea of a Tory government in Britain as much as I do, and most of whom seem to think Nick Clegg is a...
Read MoreOff to Dublin today to see a few old friends and do the Late Late Show. It’ll be nice to be in a country where the majority will have no truck with the idea that a Conservative government could ever be a progressive...
Read MoreIt comes to something when it is a Guardian photographer, the splendid Martin Argles, who sets off the waterworks. As readers of The Blair Years know, I am not averse to a bit of tearfulness as emotional release. Whether at the...
Read MoreI thought you might be interested in the release going out from Random House this afternoon about my diaries. They also have pictures of the covers but I am useless at getting pictures up here without my trusty website expert ...
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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.