大象传媒

If you could not be bothered about him,why write an article about him and his book.
The media seem to have an infatuation with him and Bliar.The only about having anything in the news about Campbell is either to boost his book sales or now to show how they manipulated and spun their odious stories.
Just get him and Blair of the news,as now they are old news and I am glad they have gone.

Nick,
Well, Allister.C absolutely right to call you jerk and I do not expect anything less than that and you must be proud of it. The reason, you always have reported a true and impartial picture of the situation not effected by any spin. Probably that鈥檚 why he has called you a jerk. What would you expect from a jerk who calls others many worst of stuff, I consider this is a compliment. Never mind, lets hope what Tony.B probably will call you which I leave it to your imagination.
Regards, Isfahan

Nick,

It would seem incredible that Campbell has deliberately chosen extracts to dull the impact of the diaries.
He just cannot tell the truth without spin, either positive or negative.
Publish them all or have an indipendant editor.
If he felt he could not do this, now is not the time to publish!
His clamber to say "It wasn't me" is depressing.

Although I can appreciate from the perspective of a political commentator or a historian these diaries may be flawed as a consequence of the 'filleting', perhaps Campbell should be at least commended for his unwillingess to be disloyal to the labour party, when the financial rewards for him being so would have been considerable.

Perhaps one could request the excised material under the freedom of information act? Certainly they've had no hang-ups about doing the same with their predecessors.

Very well put, Nick. I, for one, will not attribute your lack of enthusiasm for the book to your being called a "jerk". I'm with comments 4 & 5 on that point.

I just can't understand why anyone should care about this book. It's written by someone who built his career on lies and spin, and speaking for myself, if I want to read a work of fiction I'll stick to Harry Potter.

Sure, the diaries are probably overhyped. But how can a political editor not be curious about them? Isn't that your job, to fillet evidence like this to see if there are any significant bits and then report them to the rest of us?

I too saw the interview with Campbell on Sunday and consider that this book is an attempt again to selectively re-write what we, the public, saw and heard at the time. The electorate and public are fickle, stupid and have short memories, but the arrogance of attempting to tell people how to consider these events afterwards is a disgrace. I hope nobody has the curiosity to buy these selective extracts.

Let me get this right...Alistair 'Dodgy Dossier' Campbell, the most notorious (ahem) 'spinner' we've seen in political life ever is trying to vindicate his (ahem) 'spinning' by spinning his own diaries. Wow!
I can though understand why he'd want to spin his part in the 'Blair Years'. Without it they'd be written in three chapters:
1. My damaging early stage involvement
2. My incompetent and devastatingly damaging later stage involvement
3. My humiliatingly incompetent and insanely desperate final stage involvement
The End

Alistair Campbell's diaries may be of interest to political historians, but more for the study of how the man damaged the reputation of British politics rather than for his observations. Michael Howard was brave and right on Newsnight to confront Alistair Campbell, a man who in my opinion sullied and downgraded politics.

Nick

Listening to the Today interview provided a stark reminder of the behaviour of the New Labour 'comunication' machine. Alistair and Tony raised to an art form the technique of misleading without demonstrable lies.

I'd rather buy a used car from Andrew Gilligan than Alastair Campbell.

I don't expect Campbell's diaries are any more partial than Nick's reaction to them.

I just love to see journalists having a go at one another. The nearest to the truth that we will ever get from most of our beloved media.

This book is completely useless as an historical record because Campbell has selected what he wants us to know and suppressed what he doesn't want us to know. Business as usual, in other words.

The idea that he left out material about the Blair-Brown thing due to his Party loyalty is absolutely laughable. Where was his Labour loyalty when he was supporting the Republicans' neo-con foreign policy?

What does 'loyalty' mean in the lexicon of spin? It means the same as every other word. An infinitely flexible concept to be bandied around in self-justification.

Must admit, I wasn't too interested in Campbell's diaries myself. Getting wrapped up in arguing and rudeness has been a danger with Campbell, and more of that isn't what I need at the moment. Nothing personal, it's just that I'm more interested in my future at the moment than someone else's past.

The two immediately obvious points that are interesting are Campbell's sense of duty and loyalty, and the positive benefit a lower key diary will have on politics. While their may be no flashes and bangs, there is a greater and more subtle benefit. Politics would benefit from more calm. This is a helpful move.

I forget the numbers but the ratio of bad to good words in popular usage seems to be reflective of peoples underlying attitudes in society. While the use of bad words can be quite artful and being unconcerned with them is useful, better alternatives tend to me more expressive, stimulating, and less distracting.

Some interesting Kung-fu, here, for a 'non-event'.

Nick

If I decide to buy this book where will I find it in the bookshops - under politics or fiction?

Alastair Campbell set into motion the sequence of events that lead to a man taking his own life.

Campbell admits that much.

We would all do well to reflect on why politics 'has' to be like this.

I would contend that it does'nt, we don't have to be tribal.

Political systems can be constructed that are essentially consensual in nature, and produce good outcomes for the people.

We English need to get there soon.

Please don't waste your money or your time on this book - none of which you can trust anyway. And please 大象传媒 keep any mention of it off the airways.

He called you a 'jerk'?
My heartfelt congratulations, you must be doing something right!

There is an irony about those so eager to use words to 'dismiss' a man famous for using words to manipulate. Of course this man's diaries are interesting and I'm glad he's kept out the bits relating to Brown. That is fair in the circumstances, though this admission has no doubt left people disappointed. 'Spill the beans' and lets all have a feast!

Except the matter of perspective is always lost in reporting of politics. I doubt that any of the political classes could read a dairy like this in an objective way, for the simple reason that it might threaten to reverse long-held views based on very simple likes or dislikes, often stemming from our own political agendas. The media love to be the king-makers and the king-destroyers. Nothing worse than the manipulative media-makers coming up against one as good as themselves, as they did with AC.

Qotable quote from Gordon Brown ?:
I am busy running the country and no time for writing any dirary or reading one.

I too dont write diaries.

In fact diaries by PR men of PM's to me like more of a kiss and tell story of an unknown girl with a famous celebrity.takee it with a pich of salt.

So have you read the book, or have you formed a judgement based on what your employer (and others) has said about it?

Now Nick

Surely you are not suggesting that Mr Campbell should be impartial? That's your job!

I "greatly enjoyed" that Humphrys (and others at the 大象传媒) are still in denial about the Hutton Report.

It just shows how low we have sunk in this country when an unelected hack can wield so much power in our government. It reflects badly on all of us not just Alastair Campbell.
Why did we let this happen?

Muhammad in post 5# hits the nail perfectly on the head!, if Campbell thinks your a 'jerk', then well done you!.

Campbell and his ilk are a disgrace to politics, spin, spin, lies, that is all this man is good for.

Let's hope that this dispicable liars book is consigned to the dustbin, after all that is about the level this garbage merchant deserves.

Did Alistair Campbell not start his journalistic career by penning soft porn stories for some magazine? If so, they probably would make better reading.

Why would anybody want to buy a book that has been so sanitised as to be effectively worthless as a commentary on "New Labour" and it's period in office
This book is:-

"Campbell's Regurgitated Anodyne Politics"

Ed Corbett
Bridgend

While i share some of the points people have made about his book.

I also share campbells opinions concerning the media. 24/7 media hasn't given us better more inciteful news just more political gossip that's stated as fact. until the media accepts this little will change.

I do not read diaries or other publications like memoires for the simple reason that whoever writes them, they are only doing it for the MONEY and nothing else.
I read what is having an effect on me TODAY and the FUTURE. Diaries are not history as such cause we get to know that in our lifetime. Modern society have more important things to do other then wasting time reading something to make money for some rich person.

Does Campbell hope his book will be cathartic ? The fact is good people died, and continue to do so, for THEIR bad descisions. And as a result of their tenure, the public has never been so cynical of politicians

Well, only two quotes from Campbell and I agree with both of them!

Still not buying his book though...

What a pond-dredging lowlife Campbell is. I heard him do an interview on a US radio show ("On the Media"), and his self-justifying unctuousness was just breathtaking.

Most offensive of all, though? He was a paid public servant who is now exploiting that position to line his pockets.

It's hard not to lose faith in politicians when they choose to appoint toads like this.

Can it be coined as a spin on history? It's very easy with extracts to hollywood (12cert) the lives of the people envolved with a typical American ending. Real life, i believe, is more film noir!

It's too early for these diaries. Be far more interesting once all involved have retired.I dont want quorn, I want beef!

He is, however, clearly loyal to the right people. Now hwere's my horse raddish?

Campbell's diaries - watered down Blairite tosh attempting to rewrite history - Campbell is yesterday's man and is best ignored or forgotten. This is just a teaser for the real book which will come out just after Labour lose the next election. This guy is just a waste of space - always has been always will be.

The politically motivated editing is just more spin and subterfuge. Think I'll wait for the full version, if it ever appears - but how would we know it isn't still a political fairy story?

Calling John Major a "shallow lying toad of a man" is positively tame by today's journalism. See Quentin Letts' column on Harriet Harman becoming deputy Labour leader and witness his astonishingly insulting misogynistic stuff about her 'waddling onto the stage...bleating and wagging her finger like a nanny' etc etc. Plus lets face it, the Tories were sleazy, and Campbell was being practically understated in that comment.

What strikes you about the awful man is his total lack of heart or warmth. Every gesture, word, mannerism and act of this soul-less moron provokes the sense that he genuinely has no heart or feelings. But he is almost a perfect left-winger in that respect: unable to smile, so unable to think of ways to make the world smile. But without his type words such as 'pondlife' would fade from the english language.

Is this the same Alastair Campbell that once worked as a 'journalist' for Captain DuMaurier aka Robert Maxwell ?

And did he (Campbell) or did he not "biff" another journalist who dared to intimate Maxwell might not be totally honest and above all suspicion in any of the house of Maxwell enterprises ?
(thus perhaps demonstrating either an unusual lack of character judgement - or an innate toadying ability)

I'm not 100% sure of the above and would be quite grateful if anyone could confirm or otherwise..

In any case he (Campbell) strikes me as a rather 'dodgy', opportunistic sort of jerk (sorry, 'chap') - run with the hare etc etc...

I would just like to say that when I saw you first on TV many years ago I thought you looked like a jerk who was trying to look like Eric Morcombe. How the years have proved me wrong, you started a super trend for arty glasses. I don't think you will ever have to use hallowed, diplomatic tones of voice to make out you are a decent person when Humphries bashes you up in your retirement session. You are one of the few things in politics that provides interesting stuff for my children, keeping sticking to those principles, rattling cages and those glasses no doubt.

Nick

Alistair Campbell once asked Quentin Letts, (Daily Mail), How can you work for a rag like that or similar words. The reply was something like, 'You used to work for Robert Maxwell'.

Enough said?

These diaries would be an interesting read...if they hadn't been written by Alastair Campbell. If they'd been written by another ex-insider, someone who was prepared to bite the bullet and write about Gordon Brown too, then they'd be worthwhile.

As it stands though, I fear that these diaries will just be another example of Alastair's talent as a spin-doctor and his wish to contribute positively to Tony Blair's much talked about 'legacy'. I think I'll give his book a miss.

I think Mr B Altozanero sums the rodent up perectly, except for where he describes him as a "left-winger". The `slug` is as much a "left-winger" as Genghiz Khan was a Pacifist.

Excuse me... this *is* the same A. Campbell who was so swingeingly vindictive to the 大象传媒 over the Kelly report? Now he has a three part series on 大象传媒2 as well as being interviewed on Newsnight??