Michael Howard and Alastair Campbell

[Kevinasp]

Has Howard forgot about Neil Hamilton, Jonathan Aitken, Jeffrey Archer, Shirley Porter, Tim Smith, Keith Best and others.. and please right-wing trolls don't say they were innocent for fuck's sake.

[davesmith22222222]

Campbell is an utterly pointless, war-mongering, twisted, big-nosed CUNT

[iBeep2009]

Howard was the ONLY person willing to call him a liar to his face as the others knew they had skeletons in the closet that would appear in Mirror group newspapers in revenge the day after if they dare criticise him or Tony.

[iBeep2009]

Liar! Absolutely ! And he didnt sue forlibel, and claims 'I never read it' - like a slag actress claiming not to have read bad publicity.

[iBeep2009]

Michael Howard is spot on! Campbell should be charged - even if it means planting evidence up his arse.

[ParisHiltonChannel]

Michael Horward is absolutely spot on

[GusF]

Michael Howard is dead right in everything that he says.

[sopranosfan87]

alastair campbell made michael howard look like an idiot here, also howard is a hypocrite, remember all the devious 'demon eyes' stuff during the 1997 general election, also he supported the war in iraq then he turned his back on it when the going got tough, if thats not lowering the tone then what is, the tories have always hated alastair campbell because they have not got anyone as good as him, also alastair was right that was sour grapes at its worst

[pishiest]

Big Jock Knew and he sucked wee boy's cocks.

[SnakeFists]

Campbell is a motherfucker, Blair is a motherfucker and Howard is a motherfucker. Howard is right but all politicians twist arguments to fit their own agendas. Bottom line is they're all motherfuckers.

[chrish12345]

@SnakeFists most yeah

[aeronuk1]

The electorite made a big mistake backing Tony Blair over Michael Howard in 2005. With his tough anti-establishment stance as Home Secretery he had the potential to be a great Prime Minister. Unfortunately we had another five miserable years of national decline under Blair and Brown to endure.

[Mafiawl]

Good on you Howard.

[NewLabour1]

Dear Little Marky Boy---please study Tory Typicality-- They cut and tax because they can and they know sheep like your self will run along to the polling station to vote for them without a though!!!

[markyboy1704]

@NewLabour1 you fucking moron, you simply don't comprehend that the debt we have is beyond comprehension, waste is monumental & we....the working people have to pay for Labours disaster.

You call the New Queen Elizabeth hospital value for money................build cost, £500 million, actual PFI cost to the taxpayer over 35 years £2 billion............you thick cunt.

[markyboy1704]

@NewLabour1 Also, i suppose the Euro preperation unit Brown had in place was good value for money evidence Brown was taking us into the Euro, or what about hospitals being paid 2x when they botch an op and the patient has to return for corrective treatment...............all good value for money eh you stupid boy.

What did you say, the NHS was in danger...............errr WRONG

[NewLabour1]

Look at the Tory comments on here..its brilliant!!

You all hate it don't you...Labour came back and hit you hard with the likes of Campbell..you never saw that coming, and the best bit is Labour's front bench and team were and are better then yours!

If you want to lecture me on who has won this election can you please watch last weeks or the week before PMQs the Tories are weak and pathetic!

[markyboy1704]

@NewLabour1 your like a stuck fucking record.

Have seen what Osbounre has had to do today because of your precious Labour party, debt worse than anyone expected.

Oh did you also see how Osbourne has scrapped the Euro preperation dept Brown had already setup.

Evidence the cunt was taking us into the Euro without giving voters a say.

[PurushaDesa]

Howard sounds seriously shaken up here. Just listen to his voice - he seems genuinely uncomfortable being around Campbell. And look at the body language - he's sort of shielding himself in fear. What the hell did Campbell do to him?

[iBeep2009]

Campbells a Cunt

[CASPER10666]

ALISTAIR CAMPBELL WELL DONE.......YOUR BRILLIANT AT YOUR JOB.

[ShekeRequital]

Campbell is typical of these self-serving c**ts but in the extreme. Deeply unpleasant and disdainful of all apart from his clique. His type, Scum, should be wiped from the arse of the earth.

[Georgiahulse]

I couldn't understand what Campbell was saying through that video - he mumbles, and his words merged together to form one long sentence of incomprehensible noise.

[bingoace]

Howard should have become prime minister in 2005. If he did, he would have saved us in time before we reached rock bottom like we have now. We have hit rock bottom leaving our new PM with a lot of work on his hands, but I trust he will sort it out. Thank goodness we have got rid of Labour this time!

[caturn88]

I've never liked Howard, but he's fucking right.

[jbarks10]

Alastair Campbell is a bully and a disgusting individual.

[flappospammo]

michael howard is a QC and FAR TOO clever for a pos like campbell

note how he doesn't argue that he'll sue him for calling him a liar ??

HAHAH

what a jerk

now do some crying , scumbag

[Kallytom]

Im not a big fan howard but he is right, the tone of public life is shocking in this country, politics has been dumbed down, i hate new labour and the big brother culture!!

[Indul1]

@Kallytom Wait a minute...i agree with that...but do you know what British political debate had become in the early 1990's with the Tories, Asil Nadir, Back to Basics 'gone to wrong'...Money for questions aka Neil Hamilton...I could go on...don't rewrite history......

[TheRedGoldfish]

@Kallytom - its still better than thatcher's era, she fucking tore the country apart

[pimmagrimm]

@TheRedGoldfish What was there to tear apart exactly? The country was in a dire mess. Now, I'm not supporting everything that thatcherism stood for, far from it, as it left a legacy of greed. However, carrying on under callaghan, without radical reform and some tough medicine would have finished this country off financially.

[TheRedGoldfish]

@pimmagrimm - ill not go into detail cuz we will be here all night but she shut down the mines which had a HUGE effect even though I thought it had to be done ironically. she stopped britan exporting a big chunck and instead basing it in places like china where it was cheaper - ill tell you thatcher did do some nasty work to the country and if you are a tory supporter please dont hesistate to contradict me :P

[pimmagrimm]

@TheRedGoldfish No I am not, infact I am more left than right. However all I am saying is at the time, there was not much choice but for a dramatic reconstruction as to how the country did business. How would staying with the then Labour party have moved Britain forward? Basically I am not a supporter of how any politics is done now, it is totally out of touch with where we need to be altogether.

[sopranosfan87]

@Kallytom public life has dumbed down in britain, but its not because of labour it's because of the savage right wing press and also the tories with their cynical and shallow views, the express and the daily fail just try to push myths out all the time and brainwash the public, thats whats ruining britain, and also the big brother 'culture' as you called it is another one of those myths, we have more monitoring in this country because terrorist activity has shot up in recent years

[weeblewobble4]

Wasn't it the Tory Party that was reduced to using posters of Tony Blair with glowing red eyes in the 1997 general election campaign while Labour actually campaigned on positive policy? What have the Tories ever had to offer?

[kkwillsaveus]

@weeblewobble4 Didn't Labour have a poster up likening Howard to Fagin based on him being Jewish?

[TorDruid]

plant more trees save the world.

[stigo28]

and how right Howard is. Cambpbell is in denial about his own responsibility for the way in which Downing Street was dragged into the gutter by his style.

[flavadaveflynn4]

It shames me to say this but I actually agree with Michael Howard, "New Labour" incrementally rotted the day Blair gained office; corruption and malfeasance are now firmly engrained within British politics.

[postmasterw00t]

@flavadaveflynn4

mate you dont know the half of it

its been corrupt since at least the 50's

[vzbyrne]

I'm a labour supporter, but I do give kudos to Michael Howard here. This is the most substance I've ever seen him possess

[AlbertBundy]

Campbell is a knobhead, but he called it right.

"Sour grapes, because you lost."

[nasilemak2008]

The Tories had the ultimate liars and spin doctors in the form of the Saachi brothers. What are they belly aching about?

[kisumu89]

even though i'm a tory supporter, i think alistair got the better hand there acutally, and i wish we had him instead of labour having him...

[aussieskiff]

Campbell well what can I say was'nt this the guy who wrote stories in porn mags . And pulled the knife out of the draw for Dr David Kelly  , how in gods name can you sleep at night ...Nice guy he AINT!

[MoonAharshMistress]

poor Dr kelly.

anyone got the hutton inquiry, calling Dr Kelly chaff ?

[bittenof]

cambell is a total and utter cunt,a bit like everyone in the labour party

[jae2425]

Alastair is a great guy, I actually met him. He is down to earth and is very effective at dealing with the horrific british press

[jman375]

Body language from Campbell.

He gave a nod at the end of his sentence.

Good on you Howard

[jippyjester]

For once, Michael Howard is BANG ON. Campbell is an absolute poison pill.

[mixmatosis]

Agreed, he is a nasty piece of work. Campbell should be put down like the dog that he is.

[UnitedBritannia]

Good on Michael Howard. Alistair Campbell has been a disaster for British politics. People often throw around the phrase "Thatcher's forgotten children", well what about Blair and Campbell's children?

The appaling way in which Campbell behaved has left a generation completely and utterly disenfranchised with our political system and he has done terrible damage to our democracy.

Alistair Campbell is one of the worst Britons of the 20th/21st Century.

[tulsaschoolboard]

alastair sucks!!!!!!!!!!!

[j20Devon]

go michael!!! straight talk and utterly right!

[imangrynow]

Typical bloody Tory, don't admit when they've lost! So there was no politicising of the Civil Service under Thatcher? No sleaze under Major? Don't always agree with Alistair - but what a debater! Witty & smart too, streets ahead of Howard, wish he was a bit more left though!

[wheelers04]

well done Michael Howard..a great conservative :)

[socialistwill]

Good on you, Alistair!

Haughty, bitter, petulant, Michael Howard deserves every rebuke that he gets! It is correct that he is a sour, begrudging loser, despite his specious rhetoric.

And I very much admire Campbell's unfailingly candid and forthright tone, as well as his loyalty to the Labour Party and the vigorous manner in which he dismantles the opinions of his fulsome, conniving rivals.

So well done, Alistair! You are a splendid debater and brilliant defender of the Labour Party.

[bradm99]

"Haughty, bitter, petulant, conniving" sounds like a perfect description of Alistair Campbell. Don't you recall the way he demanded to be interviewed on Channel 4 News when he thought his point of view wasn't being put forward with the usual (and requisite) reverence by the media? Now that was petulance and bitterness to the power of 10!

[bradm99]

Still, as a passionate Marxist you are bound to have selective blindness and deafness, so your comments are understandable, and all other views are irrelevant, I would venture?

I don't vote Tory but Campbell respresented the worst of the worst of Tony Blair's "New Labour" excesses. We are all poorer for it (and not in a Marxist/Socialist way... we have paid for it in our very freedom!!)

[paddle9]

I intensely dislike MH, the way he conducted his party when he was leader and especially the focus he had on misleading us on immigration. But I have to say, I agreed with him in that the degradation of people's belief in the integrity of politicians can be laid at the door of Campbell as well as an all-too-compliant Tony Blair.

[54spiritedwill54]

i don't like the messengere (howard) but i like the message. campbell was the bullying propagandist for a war which has led to the deaths of 650,000 iraqis.

[paddle9]

I agree with your sentiments. I am implacably opposed to the Iraq war, however, the single-source 650,000 figure has been discredited. To me it doesn't sound accurate. An accurate figure cannot be placed, I feel. A figure of 80-100,000 seems more realistic - but who really knows? In any case, if you are not appalled by 80,000 deaths, you will not be appalled by 650,000 deaths. I hope you find this comment useful.

[blacksue07]

PWNED! Cambers... PWNED!!!

[gorkys6]

I despise the Tories, but Alistair Campbell is pure, unadulterated scum and diabolical filth. He's now forging a TV career, with 'forging' being the operative word. The man needs locking away for the rest of his days, fed on cold gruel

[maviscrow]

So do I these days, the feeling is mutual. As for Campbell, spot on, and the dirt I've got on Labour and the Cameronite Tories now will put them all away for the rest of their lives.

Michael Howard

[bradm99]

Anything that speeds Cameron's exit gets my vote. David Davis should be leading the Conservatives, but due to a collective bout of insanity, the Tories put Cameron in charge of what consequently became the asylum - "green" taxation hogwash, and worse! (You gather I don't subscribe to the AGW religious fanaticism.) Mr. Davis was anti-ID cards (but was forced to be pro in public (as I recall) by his leader at the time... Anyway, there are bigger worries now... our very liberty for example!

[BlackpeopleLOL]

look.. im sorry but you just cant sell the real Tory party to today's effete, gay, brainwashed-by-the-BBC electorate. its impossible. even with that silly Stalin wannabe in Number 10.. they still would have no chance. Cameron is giving them much more chance of winning the next election.

[violinbloke]

I've always thought that Campbell was an evil presence. Howerd should have devastated him by bringing out some of his old catchprases....NOHH, DON'T!! OOH! NO! TITTER YE NOT, NOH MISSUS!!

[JoshTheNinja19]

campbell should watch his back or howard might threaten to overule him!

[jimmyspinner]

Did he threaten to overrule him? Did he threaten to overule him?

[maviscrow]

Yes. The little ... couldn't even refrain from personal insults...given what I have been collecting on Labour AND the Tories since the end of 05 I will see him -and the rest of them - in court next year.

Michael Howard

[worldaccordingtodunk]

Good diaries though, once you get past the bit about Princess Diana fancying him ! I love his distain for Clare Short though, stupid cow. And how bad a dresser Blair was in private. Genius though, whatever you're thoughts are of Campbell he was an interesting guy.

[HildaMinogue]

Oh, go and eat dog shit Howard you tube...

[cimacio]

Very intelligent and articulate comment! (You must be a Labour MP, right?)

[maviscrow]

He could be from any party the respect they all have for me :(...and the respect I have for them.

Michael Howard (using new fiancee's YT account)

[densaner77]

The party who introduced "spin doctors" into British politics was the Conservative Party under Mrs Thatcher. She hired Tim Bell and Maurice Saatchi in the late '70s to take the attack to Labour. Mr. Campbell may have a reputation as a spin doctor but he is not the first to hold such a position in either Downing Street or in british political history.

[bradm99]

Agreed but he was the first to succeed in completely destroying/corrupting whatever remained of impartiality in the civil service, and, as far as I know, the only one to abuse his position to all but bash newspaper editors into submission to ensure the only truth printed was what the Party said it was. Spin doctors aren't new but his vicious brand of that black art was!

[maviscrow]

Yes, we were, but even God has had his spin-doctors (Moses being one) so they are not inherently evil. Thatcher had Bernard Ingham who was a nasty little man but he wasn't as corrupt a bully as Campbell. The difference is in style not substance. MH

[Wolverhampton1]

Oh Yiss is it time?

[basilcruncher]

i don't like the messengere (howard) but i like the message. campbell was the bullying propagandist for a war which has led to the deaths of 650,000 iraqis.

[lincolninterview]

That maybe, but Alistaire is hardly a paragon of virtue - he bullied David Kelly literally to death, and bullied the Intelligence Service hierarchy into misrepresenting themselves and lying to the British public.

[fuckwithfire1984]

Michael Howard is just a snake who cannot and should not be trusted, its just sour grapes on his part. Thank god he will no longer be in the house of commons after the next election.

[maviscrow]

I am working on it, believe me (I was thrown out by Cameron after my own constituency reselected me in November 2005), and I will give you sour grapes when I and the rest of the country catch up with you. I see you have -2 points - have -3 from me. MH

[Picnic10]

Michael Howard needed to give at least one specific example of when Alistair Campbell had lied. Alistair Campbell needed to remind everyone of Michael Howard's evasiveness when he failed to answer Jeremy Paxman's question about 14 times a few years ago. Neither truly got the upper hand in this extract.

[HildaMinogue]

Picnic, i take that you are refering to the "did you threaten to over rule him" Derek Lewis thing LOL LOL

[maviscrow]

You have to be polite on these shows, I really wanted to show EXACTLY what he and his boss did to me over "Cash-for-honours"; but it has taken months of work on my part.

Get ready for revelations that will shock you to your core and hopefully put scum like Campbell behind bars where they belong.

Michael Howard

[bradm99]

"...and hopefully put scum like Campbell behind bars where they belong."

I would buy a ticket to see Campbell meet his end (ideally in the sense of being pushed up his own fundament)!

[lincolninterview]

I actually thought what has been so obviouse all this time was never going to get said. How ironic that of all people, Michael Howard, the man who gave Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman his mythic moment on Newsnight, has now delivered Newsnight's finest hour - Alistaire Cambell's much overdue comeuppance at the very death of the Blair years. Cambell has bullied, misrepresented, spun, and spun and spun again - only in this program he stared Paxman down when he tried to criticise his operations.

[Tomsenior]

Excellent, though politically very left of Michael Howard I have to congratulate him on telling it straight to this nasty little lying toerag. Well done.

[TooDarnSoulful]

Tomsenior that is very gracious of you being a lefty -I am to the right of the howard but my favourite politician is Tony Benn !! funny game politics

[Tomsenior]

Thank you for you response.  I too admire Tony Benn not because of his political affiliation but because he stands for- now very old-fashioned values - such as integrity and honesty. Much as I detested Margaret Thatcher's policies I can admire and respect her doing what she thought was right and following her own conscience. Blair on the other hand I despise and hold him responsible for the way in which Parliament has become marginalised in this country. As you say, funny old game.

[TooDarnSoulful]

Too many left wing politicians sat on their hands and watched blair do what he liked - the cabinet was a joke all yes men and women - spineless, think what it would have been like with the likes of ben in that cabinet - President blair would have been in for a bumpy ride

[bradm99]

I just cannot understand why so many newspaper editors allowed themselves to be bullied by Campbell into printing New Labour's propaganda, as opposed to unbiased articles, on pain of not being given access to any facts at all (since Campbell tightly controlled all New Labour's media dealings by, some would say "force of personality", I would say "threats"... towards those editors, a blatant abuse of his position, and like no other press officer before him).

[bradm99]

Now the unpleasant truth about Campbell, and of course the heavily modified Iraq dossier, is finally being examined (far too late) we can only bitterly regret the mortal blow dealt to democracy (and the destruction of an independent Civil Service) in the UK by the Blair-Campbell unholy alliance. How either of them avoided criminal prosecution is just beyond me. A very strange world we live in, and an even more dangerous one thanks to those two.

[bradm99]

I thought Howard (whom I hate for his about-face in supporting the preposterous ID card scheme) was too restrained. In his shoes, I would have lost my temper (gone ballistic, actually) with Campbell for sacrificing our democracy, right to know, and liberty, not to mention one UK-based weapons-inspector, to the altar of the New Labour Project.

[maviscrow]

As for the ID cards scheme, I tried to introduce such in 1995 as Home Secretary because I knew Blair would try something similar and wanted to pre-empt it. I was talked out of it by people like you who I met on the campaign trail early in 2005. It is a difficult balance to strike because a lot of European countries have them here but I was trying to find a reason to drop my support that would look credible to people. MH

[maviscrow]

Money. Pure money. Blair pays, Campbell writes, the newspapers print. It was really difficult to get a fair hearing and even the election result was bent in a lot of Labour marginals.

[Wolverhampton1]

Yiss, it's time to see a dintist!

X

[Wolverhampton1]

Cliiing Fiiiiilm!

[maviscrow]

Respecting your opponent is EXTREMELY important. One of my heroes was Nye Bevan :).

Michael Howard

[bradm99]

Appreciate all your points. The ID card thing had me very worried (apart from being almost useless at reducing crime - according to all INDEPENDENT studies, it would yield too much hard-won freedom - won by devastating World wars - to an increasingly totalitarian UK government). Anyone apparently supporting ID cards should (rightly) attract suspicion from the public. What would be next - President... sorry... Prime Minister For Life and democracy a distant memory?

[swiftyxxx123]

howard wipes the floor with campbell!

[teeniroc]

well done Michael Howard about time that was said!!Even our "gallant" security service chiefs apparently bowed before a mere press secretary!

[Demerze1]

This is great! Can someone upload the entire discussion?

[randomxnp]

IncredibleGoliath

Do you mean the "New Labour, New Danger" slogan that turned out to be completely accurate?

[IncredibleGoliath]

It's hard to say Campbell lowered the tone if you recall the "New Labour, New Danger" conservative campaign that preceded the 1997 general election.

It's not possible to raise lower the tone of politicsm, because politics doesn't have a "tone". It's about using the means of communicating your message that helps your popularity the most.

[NotUTom]

Excellent

[prospero1b]

Howard tells it to him straight!