In praise of Alastair Campbell  

THERE are (too) many people who view Malcolm Tucker, the foul-mouthed, bullying spin-doctor of  The Thick Of It, as identical in almost every way to Alastair Campbell, on whom the fictional character is allegedly based. So deeply is their conviction that when Campbell seemed to break down momentarily on The Andrew Marr Show, he was accused of a clumsy attempt at audience manipulation. I’ve only ever met Campbell on a few occasions, but was convinced each time that here was an entirely sincere and intelligent, if combative, individual with a fierce devotion to the Labour Party. He’s also someone who I don’t believe would offer his devotion and loyalty to anyone without good cause. His loyalty to Tony Blair was based on many years working closely with the former Prime Minister; Campbell judged that he was someone who deserved that loyalty. Yet loyalty is only a part of the...