So, if the BBC story is right, whilst David Cameron and Co were condemning Ed Miliband as a crypto-Marxist for thinking ‘the State’ could do anything about energy prices, the government was trying to develop its own...
Read MoreThe focus for both sides of the Scottish independence campaign is the large number of people saying ‘don’t know’ whenever a pollster asks them how they intend to vote in the referendum next September. The lead...
Read MoreJo Brand last night became the seventh high profile arts performer to give of her time and talent for free to support what has become an annual ‘audience with …’ to raise funds for Leukaemia and Lymphoma...
Read MoreIf you like Jo Brand, if you like a good night out, if you have an empty diary on the evening of this coming Sunday November 24, and if you have a passing interest in making a small contribution to curing cancer and saving...
Read MoreOne of the reasons I know the Mail is a horrible paper, and a horrible place to work, with horrible values, is because people who work there tell me. I keep urging them to leave, to understand that public resignation and...
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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.