The many sides of Alastair Campbell were on display on the Andrew Marr Show this Sunday morning. The good, the bad - and the ugly, in a way which will dominate the Monday morning press.
Here he was plugging his latest potboiler novel, ‘Maya’, all oozing charm and charisma, and as the interview ‘segued’ into the Chilcot inquiry, the many other facets of his character emerged. First, there was the fragility, as he paused and took account of himself, the cracks in his psyche opening to reveal the weakness behind the machismo. Then it was on to the combativeness, even nearly challenging Marr about the number of Iraqi dead post-invasion, but realising it better to let that one go.
Campbell like Blair must have some inclination of what they have done and how they are perceived, and the damage they have done to our democratic ways of life, how politicians and civil servants are seen, and our standing in the world (let alone the mess in Iraq and impending conflict with Iran if the warmongers in the West get their way). Instead, what one gets from Campbell in full drive, is a Caesar-like personification of how tough it was for him and Tony in the bunker, and particularly making the case for how tough it was for his master.
Marr, who is normally a bit of a sycophant asking questions, has to get special credit here. Normally his show is a bit like a slightly more serious version of Jools Holland’s Later, but he excels in harrying Campbell.
The extract below is where Campbell gets all emotional, apparently about comparisons between his novel and the government’s dossier on Iraq’s non-existent Weapons of Mass Destruction. Not of course about the (at least) 600,000 Iraqi dead since liberation. Revealing at a crucial juncture, Campbell says, ‘Forgive me for this’, perhaps showing that somewhere in him he realises the gravity of his actions.
Marr: So I come back to my original question then. If ‘beyond doubt’ is not established in the intelligence when this inquiry looks at the intelligence, does it then follow, Yes or No, that the Prime Minister misled Parliament?
Campbell: The Prime Minister did not mislead Parliament.
Marr: Even if the intelligence when it is looked at does not confirm that assertion that it was ‘beyond reasonable doubt’?
Campbell: Yes because as I said (pause). Forgive me for this (takes breath).
Marr: This is the question. This is the thing. People say you can’t answer this question.
Campbell: I’ve been through a lot of this Andrew. And I have been through a lot in that inquiry. And (pause) Tony Blair is a totally honourable man and I also think that what we have taken on this is, and what I’ve taken on this constantly. You did it again this morning which is probably why I am a bit upset. This constant sort of vilification.
Marr: How did I vilify you?
Campbell: You compared the novel to the dossier and it's all fiction and the rest of it. It's not. And I just think the way this whole issue has developed now where I don’t think people are interested in the truth anymore, Andrew. You are all interested in settling old scores and setting the agenda and I am sorry if I get upset. But I know how that decision was made because I was there alongside Tony. I know that decision weighed on him and I know the care we took.
And to think British constitutional experts and political commentators used to worry about the role of Bernard Ingham. Good to know that such advice is back helping Gordon Brown at No. 10 and will be a central role in advising and shaping Labour’s forthcoming election strategy.
Comments
It would be more helpful if the BBC were to run a GENUINE documentary on how the the war was conceived and instigated.
But this would require fearlessly honest questioning of the intelligence services, all the political parties, the media and our own mini military-industrial complex.
I firmly believe the evidence so far indicates that Blair and his government lied and lied again. But so did everybody else. This isn't a party political issue.................IT IS AN ESTABLISHMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUE. It strikes at the very heart of our society and our "democratic" system.
Put in this context, Campbell is nothing more than a dispensable information clerk. If needs be, both he and Blair will be thrown to the right-wing media to use as a lever to get the Tories back in power.
Scotland and Scottishness is of no consequence whatever.
"Scotland and Scottishness is of no consequence whatever". Yeah just like England and the English. Grow up!
I think you miss the point at issue.
Scotland and Scotishness is as relevant as England and Englishness.
Neither affect the issue.
Quite.
Is it too late for an oscar nomination?
I think Alastair Capmbell paused to regather himself <pant, in through the nose, out through the mouth, pant> as he was having an onscreen auto-homo-erotic fantasy about himself.
Political advisor refuses to answer the question and starts to weep! It's worth preserving this moment. As has been said very many times, the offer of sincerity isn't enough in politics: "I believed it was right. It was a very tough deciusion to make." Yes, but you made the *wrong* decision. At least a few of the "useful idiot" intellectuals who wrote in support of the invasion have now said they were wrong. I believe Michael Ignatieff even said he was "wrong, wrong, wrong".
I remember a fellow student when I was a child at school, who when chastised, would burst into tears. When asked why he was crying he would say "my rabbit died" and gain sympathy for this loss.
It clearly was a tactic to distract from the reason for chastisement and turn the chastiser into someone who gave comfort and sympathy.
It worked every time.
So when I see Mr Cambell pausing and having a supposed moment of emotion I think his emotion is very real, but not necessarily the one we're all ment to think it is, and that it is an effort to distract from the hard issues raised, turning criticism into comfort.
The point I think is this, Campbell didn't answer the question that Marr put to him, instead he breaks into faux self pity in an attempt to deflect the line of questionning and hey presto, it worked. Marr did not press home his question and the MSM focus's on his mini-breakdown. He also parroted the line that Blair spun - that this was simply raking over old coals and that we need to move on.......to Iran!?
I have no sympathy at all for Campbell.
His minor discomfort and self pity is miniscule compared to the blood spilt and misery created by the policies he helped promote.
He will take his guilt to his grave, and he will deserve to. It will haunt him forever.
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