One of the great joys of continuing involvement in Labour campaigning is access to the Party’s media monitoring brief, largely unchanged in format since we started it way back in the mid-90s. It is hard not to feel for...
Read MoreTony Blair speaking in Trimdon Labour club in Sedgefield as an election campaign nears … brings back a few memories. His constituency was always an important part of his politics, not just the place that selected him to be...
Read MoreIt was good to hear Gordon Brown restating that Labour are the ‘people’s party’ when he launched the election pledge card at the weekend. Good to see too that Labour are trying to ensure theirs is the...
Read MoreThe Labour pledge card has been an important part of every campaign since 1997. The cards help set out priorities. In addition to attracting widespread media coverage, they are, more importantly, a useful basis for doorstep...
Read MoreMy old mucker Nick Watt has helped with another interesting insight into Tory tax policy formulation. Buried in a Guardian story about the decision to hire M and C Saatchi to work alongside Airbrush Posters PLC in their...
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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.