Up early and off to Hull for a mental health conference. Having caught the end of Newsnight, I was thinking it would be good for my own mental health if I avoided the papers, but it is impossible to escape the bombardment of the...
Read MoreYou can have all the factual analysis you want, but sometimes major government decisions have to rely on the instinct of the major figures in the government. Whether or not to go for the Olympics in 2012 was one such decision....
Read MoreAfter posting my blog on the BNP and Diversity yesterday (apologies to Diversity for having them in the same sentence as the BNP) I went for a long bike ride, with the wind behind me all the way back from Chipping Barnet, read a...
Read MoreFor part of Saturday night I was channel-hopping between Britain’s Got Talent and the second part of Robert Carlyle’s portrayal of Adolf Hitler on Channel 4. On BGT, I voted for Shaheen, with a sneaky side vote for...
Read More‘Joe Public’ is a mythical figure often used by journalists to indicate what is sometimes termed the ordinary man in the street. But I wonder what ‘Joe Journalist’ might be thinking of the whacking...
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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.