Tony Blair’s former press chief Alastair Campbell has condemned the demonisation of the ex-prime minister.



Campbell was speaking at the Hay literary festival in Wales, where he was withering in his opinion of the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn.

He hailed Blair as “the most successful Labour leader we have ever had”, adding “if you want to get a cheap round of applause at a Labour party meeting, just slag off Tony Blair”.

He said some local Labour party branches had refused to pay tribute to the late Tessa Jowell because of her support for Blair.

He added: “Tessa Jowell died … and you’ve had local parties refusing to have tributes to her because she helped Tony Blair. It’s madness.”

Campbell, one of Blair’s most loyal lieutenants, said he still could not get over Corbyn being leader. “I’ve known him on and off for 40 years and I find it incredible, the whole thing incredible.

“I hate what he has done to the Labour party and his position on Brexit, I’m afraid, absolutely does my head in because the Labour party is meant to be the party for working people and working people are going to get absolutely shafted by Brexit.”



Campbell said Corbyn could win the next election but would not. Many people had voted Labour last time because they knew Corbyn would not win, he said, but next time would be different.

“There is such a gap between this ‘oh Jeremy Corbyn world’ where he is transported from one adoring audience to the next and what actually is happening with the public.

“Labour lost the election against the worst campaign there has ever been and since then they have behaved like they’ve won – it just does my head in.”

Campbell said the last election was a tragedy because it involved two competing visions of the past – the 1950s for Theresa May and 1970s for Corbyn.

In an entertaining session, he spoke about his dislike of big crowds, such as the ones for the royal wedding – “I hate those things where everyone is meant to feel something” – and which political memoirs would be remembered by future generations.

His diaries would be studied, he said. He had read many of the memoirs from the time of the last Labour government and he admired some more than others. He liked Blair’s and Alan Johnson’s.

Did he enjoy Peter Mandelson’s book? “Erm ... I thought it was ... I think he was trying too hard to make a point,” he said.