Alastair Campbell resigns
Alastair Campbell has resigned from his position as Director of Communications at the Prime Minister’s Office.
This comes after he took centre stage in the row between the Government and the BBC about the dossier which was used to justify the war in Iraq.
The Prime Minister’s right-hand man was accused by the BBC’s defence correspondent, Andrew Gilligan, of inserting material into the September dossier to make Saddam Hussein seem more of an immediate threat.
The Director of Communications has strenuously denied these accusations at both the Foreign Affairs Committee and when he appeared before Lord Hutton’s Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of the weapons expert Dr David Kelly.
Mr Campbell stated that it had been an ‘enormous privilege’ working for Tony Blair.
In a statement Mr Campbell commented, “I look back with pride and satisfaction at the role I have been able to play in helping to modernise the Labour Party and helping the party secure two great election victories and more important, in the help I have given the Prime Minister and other Ministers in making the historic changes the Government has made to our economy, our society, and Britain’s role in the world.”
No successor has been announced nor has it been confirmed when he will be leaving. It is known that he will continue for a few more weeks to assist with the handover to his successor who will be announced shortly.
Mr Campbell announced that he has not taken on another big job just yet. He is to do a variety of jobs including writing, broadcasting, making speeches about the issues that interest and concern him.
Speaking at a press conference the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott stated that Mr Campbell would be ‘sorely missed’.
Mr Prescott stated that Mr Campbell wanted to go before the Labour Party Conference at the end of September, but he wanted to fully deal with the Hutton Inquiry before resigning.
However, he explained that Mr Campbell believes that now is the correct time to make his announcement.
The Prime Minister, Tony Blair stated, “He is a strong character who can make enemies but those who know him best, like him best. His combination to the Labour Party’s modernisation, and electoral success, was enormous. And his contribution during the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, in particular, were of great importance to the understanding of Britain’s case here and round the world.”
“In the extraordinarily difficult and wearing world of the modern media, he operated with tremendous skill and dedication. I knew for a long time he wanted to move on and I wish him every success. He was, is and will remain a good friend.”
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Menzies Campbell argued that Mr Campbell’s resignation gave the Prime Minister the opportunity to bring and end “to the culture of spin and media manipulation which had disfigured the Government.”
Menzies Campbell added, “Alastair Campbell’s resignation should not divert us from the central question of whether Britain went to war on a flawed prospectus, either because of inadequate intelligence, or the mishandling of intelligence once it had been obtained.”
Mr Campbell’s partner, Fiona Millar, is also leaving Downing Street where she was an assistant to Tony Blair’s wife Cherie.
