On China, consumer spending, and crime, three big bad straws in the wind for Osborne
First, a postscript from my last blogpost, on China ... yesterday Premier Wen Jiabao presided over the signing of deals with Germany worth almost £10billion (compared with the £1.4bn trade agreement... Continue29 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
The risks in getting balance between human rights and Chinese trade and power
Not speaking a word of Mandarin, I find it hard to work out exactly how hacked off Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was with David Cameron's stance on human rights yesterday. 'Finger-pointing' is certainly... Continue28 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
27 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Back from the bikeathon, inspired once more by 13-year-old Joe Smale
I'm just back from the London Bikeathon, another 52 miles in the legs, and a dose of sunburn on the neck. But, as ever, it was a terrific way to spend the morning, with 5000 other cyclists raising mon... Continue26 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Whacking public services now a clear political strategy to match economic strategy of cuts
I was surprised there were no ministers at the Local Government Awards organised by the Municipal Journal last night. It was one of those events at which, if memory serves me right, Labour always trie... Continue24 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
From Dream school to a real school making a real difference; and meeting Big Brother Lansley
Why did it have to be Piers Morgan who spotted the spelling error - I am OBSESSED about spelling - in my tweet from a school in Harrow? No, not that school in Harrow, but St Gregory's Catholic Science... Continue22 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
I hope someone asks Cameron about Guardian splash on mental health at his press conference
Like many mental health campaigners, I gave Nick Clegg the benefit of the doubt when he outlined the government's strategy for mental health in February. To save you reading the whole thing, here is ... Continue21 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
A new version of an old Cliff Richard song could be biggest feelgood dampener yet
It is always wise to be a little suspicious of stories which emerge from private sector surveys, particularly if designed as what journalists in the pre no-deadline online age used to call a 'Sunday f... Continue20 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Union and public anger fuelled by the feeling that we’re not really all in this together at all
Simon Kuper, best known for his writings on sport, has an excellent column in the FT magazine today. It is never easy to reduce a rich column to a sentence or two, but his main point is that in our ce... Continue18 June 2011
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell is a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy. Still active in politics and campaigns in Britain and overseas, he now splits his time between writing, speaking, broadcasting, charities and consultancy.