Alastair Campbell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alastair Campbell
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Campbell in 2018
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| Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy | |
| In office 15 July 2000 – 29 August 2003 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | David Hill |
| Downing Street Press Secretary | |
| In office 2 May 1997 – 15 July 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Haslam |
| Succeeded by | Godric Smith |
| Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson | |
| In office 2 May 1997 – 15 July 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Godric Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alastair John Campbell
25 May 1957 Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour (until 2019) |
| Domestic partner | Fiona Millar |
| Children | 3, including Grace Campbell |
| Education | Bradford Grammar School City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School |
| Alma mater | Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Tony Blair's strategist The Rest Is Politics |
| Signature |  |
Alastair John Campbell (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, writer, and political strategist. He is best known for his important roles during Tony Blair's time as leader of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesperson and campaign manager from 1994 to 1997. After that, he became the Downing Street Press Secretary and the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson from 1997 to 2000. Later, he was the director of communications for Downing Street and a spokesperson for the Labour Party until 2003.
Before working in politics, Campbell was a political editor for newspapers like the Daily Mirror and Today. In 1994, he joined Tony Blair's team. He was a key person in changing the Labour Party's image to "New Labour". This helped them win the 1997 general election. Campbell was known for managing news carefully. He worked with Peter Mandelson to plan Labour's successful election campaign.
When Labour won in 1997, Campbell became Blair's chief press secretary. He made government briefings public for the first time. Even though he was officially just the Prime Minister's Spokesperson, he became very famous in British politics. Some people even called him "the real deputy Prime Minister". He also helped Blair win the 2001 general election. Campbell was involved in preparing reports about weapons of mass destruction before the Iraq War. He later resigned in 2003. He returned to help with the successful 2005 general election campaign.
Since leaving government, Campbell has advised different governments and political parties. He worked with the People's Vote campaign, which wanted a public vote on the final Brexit deal. He is also a writer for The New European and interviews people for GQ magazine. He works as a consultant and helps mental health charities like Time to Change. Campbell kept a detailed diary during his time in Downing Street. Parts of it were published in books like The Blair Years. In 2019, he was removed from the Labour Party after voting for another party in the European elections. In 2022, Campbell started a popular podcast called The Rest Is Politics with Rory Stewart.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alastair Campbell was born on 25 May 1957 in Keighley, England. His father was a Scottish veterinary surgeon. Campbell grew up with two older brothers and a younger sister.
He went to Bradford Grammar School and then City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School. He later studied French and German at the University of Cambridge, at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He earned a good degree in modern languages.
After university, Campbell started working as a trainee reporter for Mirror Group Newspapers. He spent time at a local weekly paper and became the sports editor at the Tavistock Times. There, he met his partner Fiona Millar. They have three children together, including comedian Grace Campbell.
Working in Journalism
After finishing university, Campbell joined the Mirror Group training program. He became the sports editor at the Tavistock Times. His first major news story was covering the Penlee lifeboat disaster in 1981.
In 1982, Campbell moved to the London office of the Daily Mirror. This newspaper supported the Labour Party. He became a political reporter. In 1986, he moved to Today newspaper as a news editor. He later returned to the Daily Mirror and became its political editor. He was a close advisor to MP Neil Kinnock. After leaving the Daily Mirror in 1993, Campbell became political editor of Today again.
Working in Government
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In 1994, after Tony Blair became leader of the Labour Party, Campbell left journalism. He became Blair's press secretary. Blair later said that Campbell helped create the name "New Labour". Campbell also wrote a key speech that helped shape the "New Labour" idea. He was Blair's speechwriter and main strategist. He was known for being very good at managing news. The Conservatives admitted they struggled to find someone as skilled as him. Campbell played a big part in Labour's successful 1997 general election campaign. He also worked to get support from national newspapers for the Labour Party. By March 1997, many major newspapers, including The Sun, supported Labour.
When Labour won the election in May 1997, Campbell became Prime Minister Blair's chief press secretary. He made government press briefings open to the public. He became a very well-known figure in British politics. He was sometimes called "the real deputy Prime Minister." He also helped Blair win the 2001 general election campaign.
Campbell was part of the team that worked on the Good Friday Agreement for peace in Northern Ireland. He has been recognized by Irish universities for his role in this peace process. He became good friends with Martin McGuinness, a former leader of the IRA.
Campbell also helped NATO with its communications during the Kosovo War. US President Bill Clinton felt NATO was losing the public relations battle. The general in charge, Wesley Clark, said Campbell helped organize NATO's messages.
Campbell was involved in handling the aftermath of Diana, Princess of Wales's death. He helped prepare for her funeral. He is widely believed to have created the phrase "the people's princess." He also encouraged the Queen to make her public message more personal.
Iraq War and Resignation
Before the Iraq War, Campbell was involved in preparing and releasing reports about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. These reports were called the "September Dossier" (2002) and the "Iraq Dossier" (2003). Some people criticized these documents for making the threat seem bigger than it was. Campbell resigned in August 2003. He later gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry in 2010.
Later Career and Public Life
Campbell continued to work for the Labour Party in the 2005 general election, which they won. He also advised Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband in later elections.
While working in Downing Street, Campbell kept a detailed diary. Parts of it were published in a book called The Blair Years in 2007. He later published more of his diaries.
Campbell has also written for The Times newspaper. He explored the idea of "the greatest sports star of all time." He interviewed many famous athletes like Ian Botham and Martina Navratilova.
He has appeared on TV shows like Soccer Aid to raise money for UNICEF. He also took part in Comic Relief Does the Apprentice.
Campbell has his own website and blog where he discusses politics. In 2008, he made a TV documentary about his own experience with mental illness. He wanted to help reduce the negative feelings people have about mental health issues. He also wrote a novel about the topic called All in the Mind.
He appeared as a mentor on the BBC show The Speaker in 2009. He offered advice on how to speak persuasively. Campbell has also been a guest presenter on Have I Got News for You and Good Morning Britain.
In 2012, Campbell had a small acting role in the BBC drama Accused. He also started working for a public relations agency. In 2023, he published his eighteenth book, But What Can I Do?, which encourages people to get more involved in politics.
Return to Journalism
In 2014, Campbell joined British GQ magazine to interview various public figures. He has interviewed politicians like Tony Blair and sports stars like Jose Mourinho and Usain Bolt. In 2017, he interviewed Prince William.
In 2016, he became a columnist for the International Business Times. In 2017, he was appointed editor-at-large for The New European newspaper.
In 2019, he launched a podcast with his daughter Grace called Football, Feminism and Everything In Between. They interview people from different fields. In 2022, he launched The Rest is Politics podcast with Rory Stewart. This podcast quickly became very popular in the UK.
People's Vote Campaign
After the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, Campbell said it was a bad decision. He wanted to change people's minds. He helped start The New European newspaper. He was also an early supporter of the People's Vote campaign. This campaign wanted another public vote on the Brexit deal.
In 2018, Campbell became part of the People's Vote campaign leadership. He helped organize a large march on Parliament in October 2018. An estimated 250,000 people attended. He also helped organize a second march in October 2019, which an estimated one million people attended.
Mental Health Activism
Campbell has openly shared his experiences with depression. He is a strong supporter of the Time to Change campaign, which aims to reduce the stigma around mental illness. In 2017, he was recognized by the Royal College of Psychiatrists for his work.
He has taken part in events for Mental Health Awareness Week. In 2019, he made a documentary called Alastair Campbell: Depression and Me. He also wrote a book about his struggles with depression called Living Better.
Expulsion from Labour Party
In May 2019, Campbell announced that he had been removed from the Labour Party. This happened after he voted for the Liberal Democrats in the European elections. He said he voted that way to encourage Labour to support another public vote on Brexit. Many other Labour members also said they had voted for other parties. Campbell appealed the decision, but later decided not to rejoin the party. He voted Labour in the 2019 general election.
Personal Life
Alastair Campbell entered into a civil partnership with journalist Fiona Millar in 2021. They had been together for 42 years. They have two sons and a daughter, the comedian Grace Campbell.
Campbell's older brother, Donald, had schizophrenia and passed away in 2016. Campbell has spoken about how his brother inspired him to advocate for better mental health services.
Campbell is a lifelong supporter of Burnley Football Club. He has been involved in events with the club and helped save it from financial trouble. He also likes the rugby league club Keighley Cougars.
In his free time, Campbell plays the bagpipes to relax. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he played the bagpipes in a charity song that became very popular. He also enjoys the music of Belgian singer Jacques Brel.
Campbell is very active. He enjoys running, cycling, swimming, and triathlons. He has raised a lot of money for charity by running the London Marathon. He describes himself as a "pro-faith atheist".
Portrayals in Media
Alastair Campbell has been shown in various TV shows and films. He was played by Jonathan Cake in the 2005 TV film The Government Inspector. Mark Bazeley played him in the 2006 film The Queen and again in The Special Relationship (2010). Alex Jennings also played him in A Very Social Secretary. He was also portrayed in season 6 of The Crown.
Many people believe that the character of Malcolm Tucker in the BBC comedy The Thick of It was inspired by Alastair Campbell.
Images for kids
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Alastair Campbell speaking at an anti-Brexit rally in London in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Alastair Campbell para niños
