Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell
Alastair John Campbellis a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for prime minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003. He resigned in August 2003 during the Hutton Inquiry into the death of David Kelly...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth25 May 1957
coverage defined goes negativity politics shift
There has been a shift to what may be defined as a culture of negativity which goes well beyond coverage of politics.
announced considered hoping meant occasion players rare team test
When Clive announced the team to play Southland on Tuesday, it was a rare occasion where players were hoping not to be selected. Because if they were, it meant they were not in the 23 being considered for a Test place on Saturday,
pressures
The pressures to get the story first, if wrong, are greater sometimes than the pressures to get the story right, if late.
jobs decision sometimes
Sometimes Jonathan [Powell] and myself would go to Tony [Blair] and ask him if he was absolutely sure about this or that. That was our job. But ultimately it was his decision.
regret thinking iraq
I do think it's strange that I get associated with Iraq more than the people who were Foreign Secretary or Defence Secretary. It's because of my closeness to Tony [Blair], which I don't regret at all. I think that was a privilege.
dream killing-each-other months
I have a nightmare about Tony [Blair] and Gordon [Brown] killing each other. Not every month, but now and then. I also have a recurring dream about losing.
spiritual thinking moments
Tony's [Blair] convinced I'm going to find God. I do have spiritual moments, but I don't think it's God.
government people gone
All of this is happening because there has still been no reckoning post the financial crisis. So governments have fallen, one bloke has been to prison, the banks have gone pretty well back to status quo, the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. And it's fuelling anger. And somehow [Donald] Trump, who represents the worst aspects of capitalism, has persuaded people he can deal with that.
book impossible brilliant
As Tony [Blair] said in his book, Gordon [Brown] was brilliant and impossible. If he'd just been one of those things, the options are obvious.
trying together awful
Tony [Blair] slowly sucked me back in for the 2005 campaign, and from six months out, I was basically working full time trying to keep the Tony[Blair]-Gordon[Brown] thing together for the campaign. It was awful.
football player talking
I remember talking to Alex Ferguson about Tony [Blair] and Gordon [Brown], and he said: "Why doesn't Tony just get rid of him?" But if you sack someone in football, they can't turn up to training the next day. In politics they're still on the pitch. Gordon would still have been a big player.
religious
To me, marriage is partly a religious thing and I'm not religious.
dog dad cat
My dad, Donald, was a vet and had a practice in Yorkshire. Cats and dogs were his bread and butter, but his greatest love was large animals.
There is something in me that makes me see things through.