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
christmas mother queens
May I share with you my earliest memory of a political row? It was with my mother, about the Queen - classic Freudian stuff, shrinks would say. I was eight, and refusing to watch the Queen's Christmas Day broadcast.
political stories junk
The junk food of political journalism...all reshuffle stories are crap.
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.
routine life-is used
I used to be very routine-based and the new thing in my life is not having a clear, full-time existence.
father party soul
My aunty says I'm the double of my father. He was a workaholic, which I've definitely inherited. And like me, he could be the life and soul of the party, but also quite withdrawn.
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.
childhood happy-childhood
I had a happy childhood.
accepting crisis
Don't accept that you are in crisis just because everyone says you are.
eye obstacles daredevil
The day of the daredevil reporter who refuses to see obstacles to getting the truth, and seeing it with his or her own eyes, seems to have died.
meaningful team games
Like most meaningful activities, campaigns are team games.
tombstone flower long-ago
My closest friend, who died not long ago, is buried near Marx's grave in Highgate cemetery, so I see the gaggle of admirers laying roses at the foot of his tombstone regularly. I have never been tempted to leave flowers there myself. Great theories, shame about the practice. Marx did many things. But inventing class was not one of them.
self males alpha-male
My public caricature - that of a self-confident alpha male - is only partly accurate.
taken eye media
The bad news for journalists today is that the media, however seriously people who are in the public eye take it, is not taken as seriously as it once was - by the public.
way politician weak
The thing about politicians in Britain is that they are out there, you can lobby them, get close to them, there are loads of ways you can protest against them, and booing is a pretty weak way of doing it.