As people weigh up the relative experience of the party leaders, it is worth remembering that after Eton and Bullingdon College Oxford, David Cameron’s experience has been as an advisor to Black Wednesday Chancellor Norman...
Read MoreThe central questions in the forthcoming election campaign remain the same, and so do the answers. On the question of which party is best able to meet the challenges facing Britain, which party has the experience and the...
Read MoreDisplaying the cockiness which perhaps goes with their background, and which could become more apparent as the campaign goes on, the Tories are claiming a near knock out blow. George Osborne’s people are busy making him...
Read MoreThe image of Britain presented by the Tories is of a country of wrecked communities filled with feckless individuals and all of it is the fault of the Labour government. One of the best rebuttals of their broken Britain nonsense...
Read MoreI rather enjoyed Peter Mandelson’s description of George Osborne as a schoolboy charging round the sweetshop taking sweets from every jar without a clue as to how he is going to pay for them when he gets to the counter. He...
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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.