Diaries Volume Two: Power and the People

Alastair Campbell Diaries #2

by Alastair Campbell

Power & the People covers the first two years of the New Labour government, beginning with their landslide victory at the polls in 1997.

This second voume of Campbell's unexpurgated diaries details the initial challenges faced by Labour as they come to power and settle into running the country. It covers an astonishing array of events and personalities, progress and setbacks, crises and scandals, as Blair and his party make the transition from opposition to office.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Diary

1143 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2011

About the author

Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster, and activist, who is known for his political roles during Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman and campaign director in opposition (1994–1997), then as Downing Street Press Secretary, and as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson (1997–2000). He then became Downing Street's director of communications and spokesman for the Labour Party (2000–2003).

Since his work for Blair, Campbell has continued to act as a freelance advisor to a number of governments and political parties, including Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania. He was an adviser to the People's Vote campaign, campaigning for a public vote on the final Brexit deal. He is the editor-at-large of The New European and chief interviewer for GQ. He acts as a consultant strategist and as an ambassador for Time to Change and other mental health charities. Throughout his time in Downing Street, Campbell kept a diary which reportedly totalled some two million words. Selected extracts, titled The Blair Years, were published in 2007. He expressed an intention to publish the diaries in fuller form, which he did from 2010 to 2018. In 2019, Campbell was expelled from the Labour Party after voting for the Liberal Democrats in that month's European elections. In 2022, Campbell launched the podcast The Rest Is Politics with Rory Stewart, which has been the top politics podcast in the UK in the Apple rankings since its launch.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as fun as the first one as many of the opposition hijinks gone, but a study of government and power from a new perspective. Definitely one of the best political diaries out there but will be delaying the next in the series as you can have a little bit too much Campbell.

[Andy Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The journey continues as the relatively smooth transition to assuming the reigns of Government kicks in. Incessant concerns about party unity in the years prior to the '97 election are by and large replaced by problems and potential pitfalls of running the country. The big exception is the oft referenced relationship between Prime Minister and Chancellor with the latter clearly nursing his grievances, interspersed with largely astute if cautious management of the economy.

Takes on world leaders are funny - Hillary clearly giving Bill a hard time during the Lewinsky scandal and Germany's leader - Schroder - not requiring the assistance of a translator when swearing at Tony Blair.

The pace is frantic - even in the days long before social media added extra pressures. Great stuff.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warning: Alastair Campbell's diaries are never an easy read. They're the layered, complex observations of someone without hindsight, and who had intimate knowledge of the issues at hand. You'll find yourself cross-referencing, darting back to clarify, checking indexes and the significant people on a constant basis, and this makes for a read that is, at times, almost painfully slow.

But it's worth it. This second volume of Campbell's diaries are rewarding and enthralling as a day-to-day record of the corridors of power. Whatever you make of the man himself, any historian of New Labour must read these books. Essential.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers the first two years of New Labour - lots of Northern Ireland, overseas visits and NATO/Kosovo towards the end. The TB/GB/Mandy relationships are a constant. Charlie Whelan stars as a running sore and Donald Dewar never seems to be across what the author feels is required in Scotland. Tony Blair trying to catch a fish in the Seychelles whilst the author tries to hold things together in the UK over Christmas is a particular anecdote favourite of mine

[Markod0101 · Rating 4 out of 5]

You need to be interested in the politics of this time to enjoy the book.

It’s fascinating though. Campbell is honest about his own struggles.

I find it astonishing how crazy it is, and how no one ever seems in control of anything

[Andy Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alastair Campbell's second volume of diaries are, like his first, an interesting read. The insights he gives into the first term of the Blair government are unrivalled. Well worth a read.

[Jeff Howells · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of the same in the second volume of Campbell's diaries, covering the first two years of the Labour Government: Brown is a petulant plotter; Mandelson's ego outruns his political antennae; Short and Harman are useless; Mowlam is sidelined and the rest are just bit part players. The most interesting stuff is the 'non policy' entries...Cherie Blair's irrational dislike of Anji Hunter; Cook's marriage disintegration; Ron Davies' 'moment of madness' on Clapham Common. It's clear that Campbell was much more important than a Communications Director and really does come across as the second in command (well it is version of history) so it does make me want to seek out other memoirs (Mandelson's). Labour achieved a lot of good things in this period...things wouldn't be this good again...

[Thomas Boyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worse than the first one, not buying any more.

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Volume 1 highlights the difficulties between Brown and Blair, and focuses on Balls and Whelan as agents of dysfunction. It also highlights the key role he personally