Alastair Campbell was officially Blair's press secretary, but in reality was so much more; adviser, strategist and 'spin doctor' and often claimed as the second most powerful man in Britain. It is a great insight into government, and particularly No. 10, from what is essentially the perspective of a strategic communications man. It is fast-paced and compelling reading, and though Campbell is not without flaws, I was rather taken by his straight talking style, touches of humour and emotion and his insights.
Not surprisingly, Blair himself comes out of the book rather well. One of his skills is to be able to move fluidly between policy areas and still keep hold of the overall strategy. And though that is clearly part of a PM's job it is still eye-opening the number of really important issues that a PM may have to deal with in a day: an meeting on peace in Northern Ireland, cabinet reshuffle, Middle East, National Heath Service, Millennium Dome, etc
My favourite single passage of the book described the time when Clinton visited the Labour party conference in Blackpool and fancied a walk back to his hotel rather than the car. A little coterie, including Kevin Spacey, and Campbell ended up having a bite to eat in a McDonald's and chatting away to the other diners. Commenting on the incident, Campbell writes, "He was like a man replenished, not because of the food but because he had been out with real people, and got something out of it".
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