Fees protest taking heat off Tories; and good luck to Ken Clarke re mental health in prisons
When was the last time you saw David Cameron, George Osborne, Michael Gove or David Willetts being put under real pressure to make the case for the trebling of tuition fees? I ask because it is their... Continue7 December 2010
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Cameron might welcome conference coverage without BBC ego-trips
Oh how intensely the Beeb's chatterati and Kremlinologists will be studying today's coverage of their letter calling on colleagues not to strike next week. I'm not saying you have to have an enormous... Continue1 October 2010
Posted by Alastair Campbell
A few musings on diaries (mine) and memoirs (Peter M’s)
The Daily Telegraph yesterday asked me to fill their notebook slot with any thoughts inspired by the coverage of Peter Mandelson's book. Here they are, as printed in the paper today. One of the reas... Continue14 July 2010
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Pressure needs to be kept on Tories over NICs
One of my rules of political communications is that just as the politicians are getting tired of saying something, and the media are getting bored of hearing them say it, is the point at which you hav... Continue9 April 2010
Posted by Alastair Campbell
BBC main bulletin blackout on leaders’ speeches bizarre
The economy is always fundamental to any election, and the debates upon it therefore central to the choice faced by voters. So yesterday, with all three main party leaders speaking to the CBI, was a ... Continue24 November 2009
Posted by Alastair Campbell
The best policies in Cameron’s speech were those of Labour Big Government
In the next few hours, someone will do us the service of telling us which words and phrases were most used in David Cameron's speech. 'Big Government' will, I suspect, be top of the pops. Whilst pr... Continue8 October 2009
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Tongues slipping all over the place
Did Nick Robinson really refer to David Cameron as the Prime Minister? And should any of us be terribly surprised? Now of course it is possible to excuse the BBC political editor's mistake as a slip ... Continue8 October 2009
Posted by Alastair Campbell
Back to Number 10, familiar faces, familiar arguments
I had to be in two places at once last night, just about managed it, but missed the speeches at one event because I was making a speech at the other one. Both involved very different, but wonderful, w... Continue21 May 2009
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.