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Damian McBride's actions 'sickening', says Alastair Campbell Damian McBride's actions 'sickening', says Alastair Campbell
(about 4 hours later)
Alastair Campbell has described the actions of Damian McBride in allowing his book to damage Labour on the eve of conference as "sickening".Alastair Campbell has described the actions of Damian McBride in allowing his book to damage Labour on the eve of conference as "sickening".
Downing Street's former director of communications said he would not be able to live with himself had he allowed his own books to wreck Labour's conference.Downing Street's former director of communications said he would not be able to live with himself had he allowed his own books to wreck Labour's conference.
Since Friday, segments of a political memoir written by McBride, spin doctor to Gordon Brown during his time as chancellor and prime minister, have been published in the Daily Mail, reportedly for a fee of around £130,000, telling how he operated to bring down ministers seen as rivals to his master.Since Friday, segments of a political memoir written by McBride, spin doctor to Gordon Brown during his time as chancellor and prime minister, have been published in the Daily Mail, reportedly for a fee of around £130,000, telling how he operated to bring down ministers seen as rivals to his master.
The timing, on the eve of a crucial party conference for Ed Miliband, appears designed to inflict damage, along with claims that the Labour leader could in future be embarrassed by emails he exchanged with a friend of McBride's, Derek Draper.The timing, on the eve of a crucial party conference for Ed Miliband, appears designed to inflict damage, along with claims that the Labour leader could in future be embarrassed by emails he exchanged with a friend of McBride's, Derek Draper.
Campbell, who worked for Tony Blair in government between 1997 and 2003, told the Observer he could not understand McBride's actions and had been long mystified as to why Brown chose to have such "horrible people" working for him.Campbell, who worked for Tony Blair in government between 1997 and 2003, told the Observer he could not understand McBride's actions and had been long mystified as to why Brown chose to have such "horrible people" working for him.
Having removed material that could be damaging to Brown's premiership from his first book, The Blair Years, which was not serialised, Campbell said: "When I first published The Blair Years I got offered over a million quid from News International. I am not saying I wasn't interested because we did have an unspoken agreement. But I had three sleepless nights and in the end I woke up and I said to Fiona [Millar, his partner]: 'I can't do this.' Once you take that sort of money for a book you have no right whatsoever to stop them taking whatever they want, what headline they want.Having removed material that could be damaging to Brown's premiership from his first book, The Blair Years, which was not serialised, Campbell said: "When I first published The Blair Years I got offered over a million quid from News International. I am not saying I wasn't interested because we did have an unspoken agreement. But I had three sleepless nights and in the end I woke up and I said to Fiona [Millar, his partner]: 'I can't do this.' Once you take that sort of money for a book you have no right whatsoever to stop them taking whatever they want, what headline they want.
"My gut reaction when I heard that he [McBride] had sold it to the Daily Mail was I thought it was sickening but unsurprising.""My gut reaction when I heard that he [McBride] had sold it to the Daily Mail was I thought it was sickening but unsurprising."
Campbell added that he has never "exchanged a word" with McBride, who was a key Brown aide before resigning in 2009 over revelations that he had discussed disseminating untrue rumours about rival politicians and their spouses.Campbell added that he has never "exchanged a word" with McBride, who was a key Brown aide before resigning in 2009 over revelations that he had discussed disseminating untrue rumours about rival politicians and their spouses.
Campbell said he believed that McBride's book, Power Trip, would sell no more than 5,000 copies but was evidence that the antagonism and dirty tricks within government during the Blair-Brown years was not "six of one and half a dozen of another".Campbell said he believed that McBride's book, Power Trip, would sell no more than 5,000 copies but was evidence that the antagonism and dirty tricks within government during the Blair-Brown years was not "six of one and half a dozen of another".
The pair did exchange words finally on Twitter earlier. After calling McBride "odious", Campbell added: "I also have principles and commitment to people and party to which I owe a great deal. I have a soul I would not sell to [Daily Mail editor Paul] Dacre and I despise the fact that as you lied and stole and cheated you damaged Labour and team players like me had to put up with it."
McBride replied: "Why are you so angry? You've got a lovely family, get a sense of perspective and be happy for once." Campbell responded: "History will judge [Gordon Brown] kindly as chancellor and for handling of crash, but harshly for the people he employed and their methods."
Apart from a briefing that led the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley to quote an unnamed source describing Brown as "psychologically flawed" and "losing my temper in briefings about Clare Short", Campbell said he had never briefed against a minister. "I never ever did it," he said. When the full volumes of his diaries were later serialised in the Guardian, Campbell said he also retained copy and headline approval in order to minimise the damage.Apart from a briefing that led the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley to quote an unnamed source describing Brown as "psychologically flawed" and "losing my temper in briefings about Clare Short", Campbell said he had never briefed against a minister. "I never ever did it," he said. When the full volumes of his diaries were later serialised in the Guardian, Campbell said he also retained copy and headline approval in order to minimise the damage.
This week and next, Campbell, who has a novel out, My Name Is…, about the travails of a young female alcoholic, will be attending both Labour and Conservative party conferences to champion a 50p-a-unit minimum alcohol price.This week and next, Campbell, who has a novel out, My Name Is…, about the travails of a young female alcoholic, will be attending both Labour and Conservative party conferences to champion a 50p-a-unit minimum alcohol price.
He also said that, after spending last week in an NHS hospital with dysentery, he hoped to persuade Miliband to champion the health service and the immigration policies that helped staff it. "Anti-immigration rhetoric may well chime well with the public but that is not a reason to do it."He also said that, after spending last week in an NHS hospital with dysentery, he hoped to persuade Miliband to champion the health service and the immigration policies that helped staff it. "Anti-immigration rhetoric may well chime well with the public but that is not a reason to do it."
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