Difference between revisions of "Alastair Campbell"

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{{person
 
{{person
|constitutes=journalist, broadcaster, political aide, author
+
|constitutes=war criminal, journalist, broadcaster, political aide, author
|image=Alastair_Campbell.jpg
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|amazon=https://www.amazon.com/Alastair-Campbell/e/B001H6RT0A/
|image_width=240px
+
|sourcewatch=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Alastair_Campbell
|WP=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alastair_Campbell
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|image=Alastair-Campbell.jpeg
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|image_width=350px
 
|birth_date=25 May 1957
 
|birth_date=25 May 1957
 
|birth_name=Alastair John Campbell
 
|birth_name=Alastair John Campbell
 +
|wikipedia=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alastair_Campbell
 +
|alma_mater=Gonville and Caius College Cambridge
 +
|birth_place=Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
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|political_parties=Labour, Liberal Democrats
 +
|children=3
 +
|powerbase=http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Alastair_Campbell
 +
|nationality=British
 +
|website=http://www.alastaircampbell.org
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|employment={{job
 +
|title=Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy
 +
|start=15 July 2000
 +
|end=29 August 2003
 +
}}{{job
 +
|title=Downing Street Press Secretary
 +
|start=2 May 1997
 +
|end=15 July 2000
 +
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
'''Alastair Campbell''' (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, and was Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] between 1997 and 2003.
 
'''Alastair Campbell''' (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, and was Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] between 1997 and 2003.
  
 
On 27 June 2003, Alastair Campbell was interviewed by ''[[Channel 4 News]]'' presenter [[Jon Snow]]. In the interview, Campbell accused the [[BBC]] of lying, after a ''Today Programme'' report claiming that he had 'sexed up' [[Dodgy Dossier|a government dossier about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBWE7QzADe8 "Jon Snow interviews Alastair Campbell over Iraq WMD report being sexed up (2003)"]</ref>
 
On 27 June 2003, Alastair Campbell was interviewed by ''[[Channel 4 News]]'' presenter [[Jon Snow]]. In the interview, Campbell accused the [[BBC]] of lying, after a ''Today Programme'' report claiming that he had 'sexed up' [[Dodgy Dossier|a government dossier about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBWE7QzADe8 "Jon Snow interviews Alastair Campbell over Iraq WMD report being sexed up (2003)"]</ref>
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On 27 May 2019, Campbell was ''autoexcluded'' from the [[Labour Party]] for supporting the [[Liberal Democrats]] in the [[UK/2019 European Parliament elections]].<ref>''[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/28/labour-expels-alastair-campbell-from-party "Labour expels Alastair Campbell from party"]''</ref>
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On 30 July 2019, Campbell said:
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:"I don't want to rejoin [[Jeremy Corbyn|Corbyn]]'s Labour."<ref>''[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49162506 "Alastair Campbell: I don't want to rejoin Corbyn's Labour"]''</ref>
  
 
==Iraq War==
 
==Iraq War==
In the run-up to the [[Iraq War]] Alastair Campbell was involved in the preparation and release of the "[[September Dossier]]" in September 2002 and the "[[Iraq Dossier]]" (or "[[Dodgy Dossier]]") in February 2003. These documents argued the case for concern over possible [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMDs) in Iraq. Both have been criticised as overstating or distorting the actual intelligence findings. Subsequent investigation revealed that the "September Dossier" had been altered, on Campbell's orders, to be consistent with a speech given by [[George W Bush]] and statements by other United States officials. On 9 September 2002, Campbell sent a memo to [[John Scarlett]], the chairman of the [[Joint Intelligence Committee]], in which Campbell directed that the British dossier be "one that complements rather than conflicts with" the US claims.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ames|first=Chris|last2=Norton-Taylor|first2=Richard|title= Alastair Campbell had Iraq dossier changed to fit US claims|newspaper=''The Guardian''|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/10/alastair-campbell-iraq-dossier-inquiry|date=10 January 2010|accessdate=12 January 2010|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100112203058/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/10/alastair-campbell-iraq-dossier-inquiry|archivedate=12 January 2010 | deadurl=no|location=London}}</ref>
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In the run-up to the [[Iraq War]] Alastair Campbell was involved in the preparation and release of the "[[September Dossier]]" in September 2002 and the "[[Iraq Dossier]]" (or "[[Dodgy Dossier]]") in February 2003. These documents argued the case for concern over possible [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMDs) in Iraq. Both have been criticised as overstating or distorting the actual intelligence findings. Subsequent investigation revealed that the "September Dossier" had been altered, on Campbell's orders, to be consistent with a speech given by [[George W Bush]] and statements by other United States officials. On 9 September 2002, Campbell sent a memo to [[John Scarlett]], the chairman of the [[Joint Intelligence Committee]], in which Campbell directed that the British dossier be "one that complements rather than conflicts with" the US claims.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20100112203058/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/10/alastair-campbell-iraq-dossier-inqui</ref>
  
Later in 2003, commenting on WMDs in Iraq he said, "Come on, you don't seriously think we won't find anything?".<ref>'Did I say that', Observer magazine 29 March 2009</ref> He resigned in August 2003 during the [[Hutton Inquiry]] into the death of [[Dr David Kelly]]. Kelly's view that the government exaggerated the Iraqi threat in the Iraq Dossier, told to BBC journalists [[Andrew Gilligan]] and [[Susan Watts]], had led to Campbell battling with the BBC. When Defence Secretary [[Geoff Hoon]] revealed to Campbell that Dr Kelly had talked to the BBC, Campbell had then decided, in his own words, to use this fact to "fuck Gilligan".<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3129360.stm|title=Campbell wanted source revealed|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|location=London|date=22 September 2003|accessdate= 22 September 2013|archivedate=12 January 2010|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110202024252/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3129360.stm}}</ref> The counsel for the Kelly family said to Lord Hutton: 'The family invite the inquiry to find that the government made a deliberate decision to use Dr Kelly as a pawn as part of its strategy in its battle with the BBC.'<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/forget-conspiracies-the-official-version-is-scandalous-enough-2114230.html|first= Kim|last= Sengupta|title=Forget conspiracies: the official version is scandalous enough|page= 11|work= The Independent|publisher= Independent Newspapers Ltd|location= London|date= 23 October 2010|accessdate=24 October 2010|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20101024200802/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/forget-conspiracies-the-official-version-is-scandalous-enough-2114230.html| archivedate= 24 October 2010 |deadurl=no}}</ref> He claimed in June 2013 that [[Tony Blair]] had "greater commitment to wartime truth" than [[Winston Churchill]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Rowena Mason|date=30 June 2013|title=Tony Blair more truthful about war than liar Winston Churchill, says Alastair Campbell|accessdate=1 July 2013|url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10151126/Tony-Blair-more-truthful-about-war-than-liar-Winston-Churchill-says-Alastair-Campbell.html|publisher=The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|archivedate=12 January 2010|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20130703035848/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10151126/Tony-Blair-more-truthful-about-war-than-liar-Winston-Churchill-says-Alastair-Campbell.html}}</ref>
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Later in 2003, commenting on WMDs in Iraq he said, "Come on, you don't seriously think we won't find anything?".<ref>'Did I say that', Observer magazine 29 March 2009</ref> He resigned in August 2003 during the [[Hutton Inquiry]] into the death of [[Dr David Kelly]]. Kelly's view that the government exaggerated the Iraqi threat in the Iraq Dossier, told to BBC journalists [[Andrew Gilligan]] and [[Susan Watts]], had led to Campbell battling with the BBC. When Defence Secretary [[Geoff Hoon]] revealed to Campbell that Dr Kelly had talked to the BBC, Campbell had then decided, in his own words, to use this fact to "fuck Gilligan".<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20110202024252/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3129360.stm</ref> The counsel for the Kelly family said to Lord Hutton: 'The family invite the inquiry to find that the government made a deliberate decision to use Dr Kelly as a pawn as part of its strategy in its battle with the BBC.'<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20101024200802/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/forget-conspiracies-the-official-version-is-scandalous-enough-2114230.html</ref> He claimed in June 2013 that [[Tony Blair]] had "greater commitment to wartime truth" than [[Winston Churchill]].<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20130703035848/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10151126/Tony-Blair-more-truthful-about-war-than-liar-Winston-Churchill-says-Alastair-Campbell.html</ref>
  
Campbell gave evidence to the [[Iraq Inquiry]] on 12 January 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8453116.stm|title=Alastair Campbell defends 'every word' of Iraq dossier|date=12 January 2011|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=29 January 2010|archivedate=12 January 2010|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100115093943/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8453116.stm|deadurl=no}}</ref>
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Campbell gave evidence to the [[Iraq Inquiry]] on 12 January 2010.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20100115093943/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8453116.stm</ref>
  
 
==Psychological help==
 
==Psychological help==
On 1 March 2015, Alastair Campbell wrote in the ''Sunday Express'' that politicians ought to follow the example of Olympic athletes by seeking psychological support to help them face the enormous pressures of office. Campbell admitted he should have sought psychological help while working in government – he left in 2003 – but he did turn to Andy McCann, Wales’s rugby team mental skills coach, for help before giving evidence in 2010 to the [[Chilcot Inquiry]] into the [[Iraq War]].<ref>[http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/561120/Alastair-Campbell-punch-Andrew-Marr-TV-interview-psychological-help "Ex-spin doctor Alastair Campbell wanted to punch Andrew Marr during TV interview"]</ref>
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On 1 March 2015, Alastair Campbell wrote in the ''Sunday Express'' that politicians ought to follow the example of Olympic athletes by seeking psychological support to help them face the enormous pressures of office. Campbell admitted he should have sought psychological help while working in government – he left in 2003 – but he did turn to Andy McCann, Wales’s rugby team mental skills coach, for help before giving evidence in 2010 to the [[Chilcot Inquiry]] into the [[Iraq War]].<ref>''[http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/561120/Alastair-Campbell-punch-Andrew-Marr-TV-interview-psychological-help "Ex-spin doctor Alastair Campbell wanted to punch Andrew Marr during TV interview"]''</ref>
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
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Latest revision as of 11:05, 6 August 2021

Person.png Alastair Campbell   Amazon Powerbase Sourcewatch WebsiteRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(war criminal, journalist, broadcaster, political aide, author)
Alastair-Campbell.jpeg
BornAlastair John Campbell
25 May 1957
Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materGonville and Caius College Cambridge
Children3
PartyLabour, Liberal Democrats

Employment.png Downing Street Press Secretary Wikipedia-icon.png

In office
2 May 1997 - 15 July 2000

Alastair Campbell (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, and was Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003.

On 27 June 2003, Alastair Campbell was interviewed by Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow. In the interview, Campbell accused the BBC of lying, after a Today Programme report claiming that he had 'sexed up' a government dossier about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.[1]

On 27 May 2019, Campbell was autoexcluded from the Labour Party for supporting the Liberal Democrats in the UK/2019 European Parliament elections.[2]

On 30 July 2019, Campbell said:

"I don't want to rejoin Corbyn's Labour."[3]

Iraq War

In the run-up to the Iraq War Alastair Campbell was involved in the preparation and release of the "September Dossier" in September 2002 and the "Iraq Dossier" (or "Dodgy Dossier") in February 2003. These documents argued the case for concern over possible weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq. Both have been criticised as overstating or distorting the actual intelligence findings. Subsequent investigation revealed that the "September Dossier" had been altered, on Campbell's orders, to be consistent with a speech given by George W Bush and statements by other United States officials. On 9 September 2002, Campbell sent a memo to John Scarlett, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, in which Campbell directed that the British dossier be "one that complements rather than conflicts with" the US claims.[4]

Later in 2003, commenting on WMDs in Iraq he said, "Come on, you don't seriously think we won't find anything?".[5] He resigned in August 2003 during the Hutton Inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly. Kelly's view that the government exaggerated the Iraqi threat in the Iraq Dossier, told to BBC journalists Andrew Gilligan and Susan Watts, had led to Campbell battling with the BBC. When Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon revealed to Campbell that Dr Kelly had talked to the BBC, Campbell had then decided, in his own words, to use this fact to "fuck Gilligan".[6] The counsel for the Kelly family said to Lord Hutton: 'The family invite the inquiry to find that the government made a deliberate decision to use Dr Kelly as a pawn as part of its strategy in its battle with the BBC.'[7] He claimed in June 2013 that Tony Blair had "greater commitment to wartime truth" than Winston Churchill.[8]

Campbell gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry on 12 January 2010.[9]

Psychological help

On 1 March 2015, Alastair Campbell wrote in the Sunday Express that politicians ought to follow the example of Olympic athletes by seeking psychological support to help them face the enormous pressures of office. Campbell admitted he should have sought psychological help while working in government – he left in 2003 – but he did turn to Andy McCann, Wales’s rugby team mental skills coach, for help before giving evidence in 2010 to the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War.[10]

 

Related Quotation

PageQuoteAuthorDate
Craig Murray“For me, the death of millions of people in the Middle East, and Alastair Campbell’s role in the deliberate manufacture of a dossier of lies to cause an aggressive war that led to those deaths, were life-changing events. It led me to pursue the end of the imperialist British state.”Craig Murray23 March 2019

 

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Document:The Death of David Kelly and the "Sexed Up" WMD Reportarticle21 February 2008Stephen Frost
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