I think I have now read every word David Cameron has ever spoken (well, every word he has spoken which has been recorded). Heir to Blair he ain’t. Go back and read TB speeches way back when, and then the last speeches he...
Read MoreInteresting observation from David Cameron about tomorrow’s TV debate. Despite every single rule having been agreed by his team in discussions with Labour, the Lib Dems and the broadcasters, he cannot resist getting into a...
Read MoreSo the Big Idea is that we can run our own lives. Apparently it is going to lead to a Big Society. And that is going to be really really nice. Not nasty like Thatcherism. Not nasty like the manifesto David Cameron wrote for...
Read MoreWe’re at that stage of the football season players and managers call ‘the business end’. In election campaigns, the business end comes earlier in the cycle, with the launch of the manifestoes, Labour’s...
Read MoreWhat a joy to turn on the BBC this morning and see Michael Howard on the Andrew Marr sofa. More, more, more please. Looking at twitter it’s clear I was not alone in thinking that the former Tory leader is a good reminder...
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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.