With Trump and Brexit two dark clouds, thank God for the next generation. They keep me going

• Post

• 4 February 2018

• Posted by Alastair Campbell

• 1

I'll admit it, until this morning I had never heard of Not3s [pronounced Notes, oldies] or Mabel McVey. I met them as fellow guests on the Sunday Brunch show on Channel 4, where I was promoting the new novel, and they were performing live in the studio. I'll also admit I had never seen the programme before, and was a bit shocked to learn it lasted three hours, and you were more or less on the set the whole time. But that is long enough to form a judgement about people, and I formed one about these two. Not3s is 19, Mabel 21, and I left their company with a spring in my step, and a gladder song playing in my heart. Not least because the old tend to set the terms of debate in our media, the young tend to get a bum rap. These two were bright, curious, funny, talented, confident. Good values too. Hate drugs. Angry about the right things not the wrong things. And Mabel, I do love a girl who has her parents as her screensaver! (Mind you, when your Mum is Neneh Cherry...) I had a similar experience last week speaking to a Sport Industry event for young leaders in sport - all under 30. They did an exercise where they had to describe their own leadership skills in ninety seconds. It was impressive. Bright, curious, funny, talented, confident. In my own life too, maybe I am lucky in having the three kids I have, but they and the young people I meet through them by and large make me feel optimistic about the world, whereas a lot of the people I spend time with who are closer to my age (not least in politics right now) make me feel pessimistic. Brexit and Trump are like two horrible dark clouds over the world right now, and my generation has to take a lot of responsibility for both. But the next generation, I reckon, will eventually get the world pointed in a better way. Not3s admitted he didn't know who I was either, but we hit it off, as anyone who watched the programme would be able to see. And when I mentioned I played the bagpipes, most of the people on the show went off on the usual anti-bagpipe jokes about neighbours and whether they could put up with it ... Not3s and Mabel got chatting about the idea of a collaboration, and by the time the show was over, we were planning a musical event to support the fight to stop Brexit. It's going to happen folks. Take Not3. And by the way, Not3s, I've been listening to some of your stuff since getting home. Love this one And you don't even have to explain what 'Peng ting' means. Sick innit! Mabel this is you at your best, and I reckon the bagpipe jamming will work well with it. Thanks both of you for the instagram lessons. Still struggling with the story thing ... I'll get there. Stop Brexit. Save the future for the young ... They deserve it  

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One response to “With Trump and Brexit two dark clouds, thank God for the next generation. They keep me going”

1. You are hopeful for the next generation Alastair? Well so am I, but not because of Trump or Brexit.
   You would likely be more versed on Brexit than I but I can tell you everything you need to know about Donald Trump,
   For starters, you (I assume you’re a thirty-something, or at least close to it) and I have heard all of our lives the negative jibes about politicians.
   The common theme is that they look for your vote while making all sorts of promises to the potential voter. Then, when they get into office, they forget all about the promises made on the campaign trail. That holds true for America, Britain, and, knowing human nature, the rest of the world I feel.

   So along comes a man (Donald Trump) who is not a politician (and thank God for that) who had three battles to win to get elected. Firstly he had to defeat Hillary Clinton, a bout which made David and Goliath look like a fair fight. Then he had to defeat his own party, the majority of whom were hoping and praying that he did not become their candidate, let alone the President himself. And guess how much his own party gave him to campaign? The princely total of zero dollars – they were right behind him wouldn’t you say? And thirdly he had to defeat the media who, 25 hours a day, bashed him and laughed at him.

   However, Mr Trump developed a relationship with the American people and that stood him in good stead on his way to the most remarkable victory in the history of American politics. He also has kept those promises he made the people for the most part, still waiting on the wall but that is not his fault. What a novel concept – an elected official who actually keeps his promises.

   The bottom line with Donald Trump is he has exposed the dyed in the wool corruption in Washington which has been syphoning off tax payers money for more than half a century. He has exposed without doubt the most corrupt regime the United States has ever seen (the Obama presidency) and the latest news coming from Washington shows just how deep it was and is, and the lengths those people were prepared to go to to hold onto power, and to deceive the American people in the process.

   Across the water, you have no Donald Trump. Theresa May is your garden variety politician who cares very little for the people she has been elected to lead. If she did care, she would listen to their voices and protect them from naked globalism and from embedded terrorists.

   The days of politicians paying lip service to their electorate I believe are coming to an end – Donald Trump is the flag bearer for the new generation of leaders. If the next generation hold their politicians accountable like they should, then they have nothing to fear from the likes of Donald Trump.

   Reply