Since starting this blogging malarkey some months back, I have done at least one every day. Obsessive, moi? This is really just a way of keeping up that record, though when we go away for our summer holiday I do not intend,...
Read MoreI thought that might grab some attention as Mr O’C prepares to lead out the Lions in South Africa, and I promise I will come on to the debagging incident in a moment. But first a brief message from Jane Appleton, she of...
Read MoreGuardian online have quoted me accurately, whilst this morning’s Independent misrepresented my position, on the Iraq war inquiry. The Guardian was quoting what I said at an event at the Commons last night, in which Robert...
Read MoreThis blog comes courtesy of three readers of previous blogs, whose ideas will hopefully spark debate and involvement from others. First, thanks to Jane Appleton who had the idea of trying to make ‘Facebook friends of...
Read MoreI make no apology for renewing so soon the appeal I made here yesterday for donations towards Leukaemia Research’s Big 5-0 campaign, in which we are trying to get fifty donations of fifty thousand pounds to celebrate the...
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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.