Call me a saddo, but I was determined to watch George Osborne’s speech live. In the media age,this ought to have been straightforward. I left Sheffield, where I was picking up a 50k cheque from Dransfield Properties for...
Read MoreI didn’t see much of the Tory Conference yesterday. I was locked away in a radio studio for most of the morning, doing interviews in advance of World Mental Health Day later this week. Then lunch with a former colleague...
Read MoreEven within the Labour Party, people sometimes ask why I keep banging on about the need to keep banging on about the government’s record. The last 24 hours have shown the reason. Imagine that when he was avoiding answers...
Read MoreThe BBC lead-in was bang on message for VacuDave tonight, leading its bulletins with talk of his ‘big, bold plans for welfare reform’ and the highly comical notion that the Tories are now the party of jobs. Well done...
Read MoreMade my first ever trip to Jersey yesterday. Nice place, nice time, good run, met some old friends and then last night did a speech and q and a at a dinner. It is always interesting to see where questions are coming from...
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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.