Part of politics is having to prepare for every eventuality. So even before a vote had been cast last week, Gordon Brown had several drafts of statements – win, lose or draw – that he would make once the result...
Read MoreAfter all the drama and excitement of yesterday, some things have changed and some haven’t. GB signalling his departure as Labour leader is a change, though one that should not have been hugely unexpected given the...
Read MoreFor reasons that will be known to some of you, I normally avoid pubs. But last night was a special occasion, as we went to the Richard Steel in Belsize Park to celebrate with the Labour team who had taken back Camden Council....
Read MoreIf you took the value of the most expensive negative, personalised poster campaign of modern times, and added it to every pro-Tory, anti-Labour propaganda piece in a national media as biased as in any UK election I can recall,...
Read MoreWhen there are so many undecided voters, the last stages of the campaign matter more than any other. I imagine most visitors to this site made their minds up some time ago. Since starting this blog, the majority of comments...
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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.