I’m aware today’s guest may come as a surprise to some of you, and that you may have questions. I explain my reasoning here.
“If enough people get engaged and enough people get involved, don't underestimate the power and the agency that we all have as individuals and, obviously, working together with other people.”
But What Can I Do?
That’s the title of Alastair Campbell’s latest book, a passionate treatise on how broken politics is and what to do about it. His answer? Teaching the youth to oust the old. His message is simple: Learn how to campaign and don’t stop til you win.
A key player in Tony Blair’s New Labour government as a strategist, he has a wealth of experience winning campaigns—including the campaign to invade Iraq. This has made him a divisive figure in British politics, on which he remains a key commentator on his podcast, The Rest is Politics. His co-host, Rory Stewart, recently grilled him on the invasion of Iraq, which I advise listening to. Alongside the podcast, Alastair works as an advisor, journalist, author and mental health campaigner.
He joins me to discuss what the climate campaign needs. Alastair emphasises the importance of getting both power and people onboard, stressing the importance of a unified and simple message to inspire action. He addresses the levers and systems which need to be utilised in Power and Politics, and details the roadblocks of Populism and Polarisation. Finally, we discuss the reality of politicking vs the urgency of the crisis before I ask:
Will you help?
The Climate Campaign | Alastair Campbell