Alastair Campbell Diaries: Volume 7: From Crash to Defeat, 2007-2010

Alastair Campbell Diaries #7

by Alastair Campbell

Caught in the no man’s land between being a key figure in Downing Street and the relative anonymity of the world outside politics, Alastair Campbell finds himself being torn in several directions. Having succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown wants Campbell at his side. Campbell resists, flooding his reservoir of guilt as a general election looms and Brown’s indecision and fluctuating moods suggest the Labour administration is seriously threatened by the Tory ‘posh boy’, David Cameron.

Soon Campbell is earning not only praise but big money from motivational speaking and writing novels which darkly reflect the personal mood swings that continue to concern to both him and his family. Serious journalism across platforms old and new puts him back in the public eye and together with live appearances and a love of sport – his enduring love affair with Burnley Football Club still smoulders – sees him board a celebrity merry-go-round that often leaves him far from his comfort zone.

With politics constantly tugging his sleeve, he eventually returns to the front line to marshal a party in disarray. The intensity of the months leading up to 6 May 2010 is as dramatic as any screenplay, with Campbell chronicling Brown’s struggle to win over a disillusioned nation and then his dignified departure from the main stage. For Campbell, another chapter closes. So what next?

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Diary, History

765 pages, Hardcover

Published September 20, 2018

About the author

Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster, and activist, who is known for his political roles during Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman and campaign director in opposition (1994–1997), then as Downing Street Press Secretary, and as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson (1997–2000). He then became Downing Street's director of communications and spokesman for the Labour Party (2000–2003).

Since his work for Blair, Campbell has continued to act as a freelance advisor to a number of governments and political parties, including Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania. He was an adviser to the People's Vote campaign, campaigning for a public vote on the final Brexit deal. He is the editor-at-large of The New European and chief interviewer for GQ. He acts as a consultant strategist and as an ambassador for Time to Change and other mental health charities. Throughout his time in Downing Street, Campbell kept a diary which reportedly totalled some two million words. Selected extracts, titled The Blair Years, were published in 2007. He expressed an intention to publish the diaries in fuller form, which he did from 2010 to 2018. In 2019, Campbell was expelled from the Labour Party after voting for the Liberal Democrats in that month's European elections. In 2022, Campbell launched the podcast The Rest Is Politics with Rory Stewart, which has been the top politics podcast in the UK in the Apple rankings since its launch.

Reviews

[Andy Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the tale continues, and without the frequent war of words and sulks between TB and GB - mostly caused by the latter, as TB steps aside and grudgingly mutters "if you must, Gordon".

Alastair clearly wants to avoid a full time role back at Number 10 whilst the seemingly daily beseeching calls arrive from No 10 almost begging him to give the administration, let alone the Government's commmunications strategy, some sense of shape. The bigger the organisation, the heftier the bureaucracy and list of advisers, the harder to mould shape and purpose. And Alastair clearly feels there is a lack of real leadership amongst Brown's circle.

The political aspects of the book really hit their stride in the build up to, and course of, the 2010 election, though having a ringside seat at the financial crash is interesting.

Undoubtedly the best of the diary series up to this point is time spent at the heart of Government and, just as Alastair appears to tire at the prospect of another after dinner speech given on leadership, direction and strategy, so the reader's attention is inclined to wander. A lot of analysis of the political landscape in chats with those by then on the fringes of Brown's trusted confidants - and with Alex Ferguson. And the tickets for events round the world keep flowing in - a nice life but sometimes lacking in direction as he admits. Passages about mental health struggles are heartfelt and insightful.

The final pages - set amidst the closing days of Labour's run in power - and account of horsetrading over possible coalition terms with the Lib Dems, come into their own.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have now completed seven of the eight volumes - endless efforts by GB to get AC back into the heart of Number 10 but as TB says - and AC reflects many times - however good the adviser it can’t substitute for an absence of central purpose and strategy. AC does his first tweet and gets a bit excited about having Facebook friends. Everything has to be in a blog rather as today it must be in a podcast. It was during this volume that I left Government for other things (I pop up briefly in volume 8 but that’s to come)

[Macy Mckay · Rating 4 out of 5]

One for the political geeks who remember 2010-2015, otherwise you'll never follow the chain of events. But for those of us who do, thoughts on the Gordon Brown government, Iraq inquiry, and Cherie Blair are all welcome. Although being outside of government at the time, surprisingly little detail about the financial crisis.
Kudos for being open about mental health issues though