This must be one of the longest, and certainly the laziest, blog I have ever done. Just a bit busy you see. I was doing a speech to sports governing bodies in The Midlands yesterday, so took the opportunity to visit my Mum,...
Read MoreCentral London was heaving last night with happy, cheering, chanting, singing, flag-waving Algerians celebrating the win over Egypt that took them to the World Cup next year. There is nothing quite like international sport, and...
Read MoreSo GB has suggested that the Tories’ inheritance tax pledge is the first tax cut in history where those proposing it will personally know those who stand to gain. I think this should be put to the test. Can we not have a...
Read MoreAfter yesterday’s rebuttal of the FT Deutschland, I come a bit closer to home today, to rebut a piece that has popped up in my inbox from the Evening Standard. A better paper since Boris’s wannabee arts supremo...
Read MoreBack to the depression front today, with two very different stories to report from different parts of the world. First from Australia, where senior politician Kevin Foley has held an emotional press conference to...
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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.