‘Gee, what a great wall.’ You had to hand it to Ronald Reagan. He had a way with words. But now it seems the Great Wall is even greater than the Great Communicator realised when he came out with his reaction on...
Read MoreI’ve talked before about how sometimes a prism forms over a story, so that after a while only one side gets heard. It happens most often to politicians, usually those in power, most intensely when a situation develops with...
Read MoreIt is the normal fate of Chancellors, on the Sunday before a Budget, to see the newspapers plastered with predictions of its contents. Today, you have to work well into the inside pages before finding out what Alistair Darling...
Read MoreWith a long journey home ahead of us, a quick blog to pose the above question. It has come to me many times as I have cycled around the Highlands. Some of you may remember that a few weeks ago I took delivery of a wattbike, a...
Read MoreSeveral days late, in the eyes of some, to the issue of football stadia. Late, that is, if it is indeed the case that the twentieth anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy was the subject I should have been addressing a couple...
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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.