Alastair Campbell

Alastair Campbell linked to the rubbishing of Kelly

Prodicus (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

What, again? First this . And now this . Vote Labour. You know it makes sense.

Alastair Campbell's mate is secretly out to scupper Kelly

Benedict Brogan (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

Alastair Campbell has produced a typically robust response on his blog to the Telegraph’s coverage of his friendship with Sir Ian Kennedy, the new expenses supremo. That the big-brained head of IPSA, the body charged with sorting out the expenses mess, thought the French were capable of producing Skylab must remain one of the great [...]

The Thick of It: series three, episode three

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

Malcolm's verbal attacks are terrifying enough. But things take a rather stronger turn ... The Thick of It: series three, episode two SPOILER ALERT: This weekly blog is for those who are watching The Thick of It series three. Don't read on if you haven't seen episode three. There will of course be swearing We saw two new sides to Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) this week, one almost as shocking as...

Expenses Reform Backtracking: The Cambell Connection

Denverstrope (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

Just been listening to Radio 4's news on the way back from a little trip and was surprised (or, perhaps, wasn't surprised one little bit) to hear that Sir Ian Kennedy, friend of Alastair " David Kelly's Death Made Me Depressed " Campbell, no less, and appointed head of the flash, new independent committee charged with monitoring MPs' behaviour and finances in future (but is laughably answerable...

Sir Ian Kennedy Distances Himself From Kelly

Iain Dale's Diary (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

So, Sir Ian Kennedy (new chairman of the Independent STandards Authority) is a close personal friend of Alastair Campbell. Does it matter? To the Westminster lobby it does - because they missed the story until it was too late. So, it has to be said, did the blogosphere. Alastair Campbell tweeted this morning that he thought he was reading a diary story, until he realised it was the Telegraph's front...

Campbell on Brown/Obama/Afghanistan & leadership (?)

Keep Tony Blair For PM (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

Alastair Campbell - Brown/Obama/Afghanistan and the irritating 'leadership' business.

The malign influence still near the heart of British politics

Not a sheep (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

Read and wonder how nobody knew in advance that "Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, the head of the independent watchdog charged with reforming MPs’ expenses and restoring public trust in Parliament, is a close friend of Alastair Campbell. "

Was he a Berc?

Blaney's Blarney (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

Please tell me that Speaker Bercow actually did some research into Sir Ian Kennedy before appointing this close personal friend of Alastair Campbell to be the head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority...

Expenses reform-maybe

Angus Dei politico (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

It seems that Prof Sir Ian Kennedy the man in charge of the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is not happy with Sir Christopher Kelly's plans for expenses reform. It seems that Prof Sir Ian Kennedy does not like certain reforms proposed, in particular plans in the report to compel MPs to return profits from second homes and ban them from employing relatives. It seems that that the...

Kelly's MP expenses proposals may be overruled

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009

The man appointed to oversee the future expenses regime for MPs will not necessarily implement the proposals published by Sir Christopher Kelly, but will instead conduct a wide-ranging review of his own. The three leaders of the main political parties and Kelly, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, had this week said the proposals should be implemented as a whole. But Sir Ian Kennedy,...

Sir Ian Kennedy the man reforming MPs' expenses is Alastair Campbell's friend

The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009

The head of the independent watchdog charged with reforming MPs' expenses and restoring public trust in Parliament is a close friend of Alastair Campbell.

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy: the MPs' expenses tsar who gave legal advice to Alastair Campbell in the south of France

The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy was so close to key figures in New Labour that he and his wife were described as "party people" by Alastair Campbell.

David Cameron does God

Archbishop Cranmer (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009

He will be criticised by the zealots on both sides of the divide: by the religious fundamentalists who demand an unequivocal exposition and adherence to a strict theology, and by the anti-religious fundamentalists for whom any expression of faith in the public realm is anathema. But in a very welcome, not to say wholly refreshing interview for the London Evening Standard , David Cameron has talked...

• Cameron on his faith - The Church Mouse

Alastair Campbell, photography critic

John Rentoul (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009

Alastair Campbell offers an enjoyable critique of this photo by Stefan Rousseau/PA in The Guardian today. Although I don't think he quite captures the weirdness of it. Campbell recounts the one time he tried to write standing up on a moving Tube train: I ended up lurching forward and headbutting an American tourist, creating a scene in which someone who had been eyeing me up ever since I got on at...

Cast Iron Guarantee

SNP Tactical Voting (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009

Alastair Campbell is making great hay out of David Cameron's 2007 "cast iron guarantee" quote relating to a referendum over on his blog. Far be it from me to defend the Tory leader but here is the quote in full: Today, I will give this cast-iron guarantee: If I become PM a Conservative government will hold a referendum on any EU treaty that emerges from these negotiations. No treaty should...