Sad and baffled to see Coyle go
I have done a longish piece on Owen Coyle’s departure for AOL’s Football Fanhouse on http://www.football.fanhouse.co.uk Here are a few extracts for those who don’t really care as much as I and – judging...
Read MoreAuthor: Alastair Campbell
Cameron’s wobble the product of his team saying what their audiences want to hear
The Tories put a lot of planning into the launch of their New Year campaigning. Big setpiece speeches by the leader, press ads, posters with what look like an airbrushed David Cameron. The slogan ‘things can’t go on...
Read MoreNew Tory slogan – if you’ve got the cash, splash it on crap ads
That the Tories have money to burn is clear from the ads they plastered in several of the newspapers and on strategic ad sites yesterday. Ads are to some extent a matter of taste. They are also a matter of judgement. If I...
Read MoreAnd the musicians of the decade were … The Beatles and The King
Other than urging David Cameron to have as his New Year Resolution the promise to set out a detailed set of policies covering the major areas of national life – and meanwhile the Pig on Runway A is set for take off –...
Read MorePrepare for avalanche of Ashcroft posters for Tories
I will forgive Jack Straw his little jibe at the expense of Burnley FC in his piece on the Tories in today’s Independent. The Blackburn MP says he will donate two tickets to see Burnley reserves to anyone who can name a...
Read MoreMy Latest Book
But What Can I Do?
Why politics has gone so wrong, and how you can help fix it
by
Alastair Campbell
"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.