Lecture 2 in my series of events as Humanitas Visiting Professor at Cambridge University’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, delivered today. A few years ago, Carl Bernstein and I shared a...
Read MoreProfessor Campbell here, with the first of the two lectures I am making this week in my debut performance as Humanitas Visiting Professor in Media (cue Dacre Vagina Monologue) at Cambridge University. I promised to put it up as...
Read MoreNever did I imagine, as I drank, fought and very occasionally studied my way through four years as a Cambridge University student, that one day I would be a ‘visiting professor’ no less. Also, given that at the time...
Read MoreOut last night to one of the most extraordinary venues I have ever spoken at. A club in Soho which – not that I have ever knowingly been in a Paris brothel – felt like, well, a Paris brothel. It was all dark and...
Read MoreIf you like Jo Brand, if you like a good night out, if you have an empty diary on the evening of Sunday November 24, and if you have a passing interest in making a small contribution to curing cancer and saving lives, then...
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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.