Last night I was speaking in Nottingham and was advised to ‘keep it short and funny’ by one of the organisers. I did my best but it was a long way to go for a Monty Python sketch so I did 20 minutes, fifteen of them...
Read MoreI sometimes go on about how Labour politicians tend only to get covered through a negative media prism. But they have it easy compared with social workers, again in the spotlight with the publication of the Laming Review which...
Read MorePerhaps I was wrong to twitter yesterday that I was about to sit down and watch a special screening of In The Loop, Armando Ianucci’s feature film based on his successful and often very funny TV programme, The Thick of It,...
Read MoreGreetings from a beautiful Hampshire countryside hotel where I am due to make a speech to business leaders about leadership. So out early to the hotel gym and how refreshing it was to hear on the news that the government is...
Read More‘Saturday August 15 1998 (holiday, Flassan) Wendy Abbs [Downing Street duty clerk] came through on the other line to say there had been a huge explosion in Omagh, 12 thought to be dead, the PM was just being told, having...
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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.