Elvis Presley is alive and well and living in the form of impersonator Mark Wright, who has come up with an interesting idea to help MPs through the expenses storm. I know Mark because as well as being Elvis, he is also a...
Read MoreGreetings from a Rome strangely subdued despite pockets of happy Spaniards and deeply disappointed Manchester United supporters. Enough of football. The better team on the night won, United did not play as they can. Darren...
Read MoreOne of my favourite quotes about politics came from New York Governor Mario Cuomo – ‘we campaign in poetry but we govern in prose.’ Barack Obama fought one of the most wonderfully poetic campaigns and now has...
Read MoreI read somewhere the other day that I was a ‘prolific blogger.’ Am I? I don’t think so. One a day most days, like shaving, very occasionally two, but I try to ensure it takes up no more than twenty minutes to...
Read MoreAs I was saying … there is nothing quite like football; for anticipatory anxiety, stress during the game itself (not to mention FIVE minutes of injuty time) then joy overflowing in the moment of victory and the hours which...
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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.