First the good news from London – it looks like All In The Mind might be made into a film. So if you didn’t get the hardback, get out and buy the newly released paperback now to see why Hollywood (oh ok, a very good...
Read MorePaul Fletcher scored the greatest goal I ever saw, several decades ago, for Burnley against Don Revie’s ‘dirty Leeds.’ A picture of the moment hangs in our hallway. Now Burnley’s chief executive,...
Read MoreOn to the early Eurostar and, to get my head into French as I prepare for a mass of interviews to promote my novel, ‘Tout est dans la Tete,’ I picked up Le Monde. First stop a G20 twelve-page pull out, a reminder of...
Read MoreTo a party last night, to celebrate a friend’s continuing defeat of cancer, at which no fewer than four people – two political, two not – spontaneously mentioned Australian Prime Mininster Kevin Rudd’s...
Read MoreLots of talk of expectation setting pre the G20 Summit. It is hard enough if you have near total control over an event – as with a single speech by a single politician, when other people’s hopes and expectations for...
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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.