Alastair Campbell vs Tony Blair: Will Corbyn Become Prime Minister? | GQ Politics | British GQ

Tony Blair, the three-term Labour prime minister, is returning to fight for progressive politics in Britain and around the world.
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Here, in this interview conducted before Theresa May called a general election, his former Number Ten comms chief Alastair Campbell persuades him to revisit Iraq, and asks how to meet the challenges of Brexit, Donald Trump and Jeremy Corbyn.
Camera and editing: Luca Lamaro
GQ.co.uk editor: Conrad Quilty-Harper
ABOUT GQ POLITICS
Alastair Campbell is GQ’s arch interrogator, a writer, communicator and strategist, and the former Downing Street Director of Communications in Tony Blair’s government from 1997 to 2003. In this series, Campbell talks candidly with a host of political influencers about heavyweight subjects such as Brexit, the future of the left, the general election and much more.
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Alastair Campbell vs Tony Blair: Will Corbyn Become Prime Minister? | GQ Politics | British GQ
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Alastair Campbell vs Tony Blair: Will Corbyn Become Prime Minister? | GQ Politics | British GQ

[@EDLuke246]

Yikes.. this 'future of the Labour Party' stuff is a bit hard to watch on 13.12.2019

[@TonyFisherPuzzles]

Really? I find it hilarious.

[@MidnightRambler]

he started this middle class labour party

[@DarkFire515]

@@MidnightRambler And won 3 elections with it. Huge majorities across the country, including areas that deserted labour last month.

[@meurigdavies8080]

Cen Blackwell Corbyn had more votes than the last PLP leaders got in the last 3 elections.

[@DarkFire515]

@@meurigdavies8080 Still didn't win the election though, and without that nothing can be achieved.

[@mynewcolour]

To his credit Blairs views on western media and 'fake news' are the most balanced I've heard from anyone in UK politics.

[@DSQueenie]

Joseph // you're right I was very surprised.

[@gamerjohn310]

Not really, it is true, that some pundits like on MSNBC will criticize Trump for any or no reason, but independent print media isn't as bad and gives trump credit once in a while. Furthermore, it is hard to give someone credit when they change their stances all of the time ( like Trump)

[@Writeous0ne]

@@gamerjohn310 but it even translates to comedy. Right wingers get murdered in comedy shows but no one will ever make a joke about a lefty. Lazy comedy.

[@LennyColton]

@@Writeous0ne I would argue that the centrist liberal types are the ones who never get any flack on tv. The true left - radical socialists, collectivists, communists, etc. (in some ways) get a worse reputation than hard-right, free-market, small-state capitalists.

[@Writeous0ne]

@@LennyColton not really. Look at trump, brexit, bojo etc. They are easy targets in comedy. Right now joe biden just pulled out of afghanistan and their citizens got mullered by terrorosts in days. Fleeing to airports in fear, no ones interested. Now i always though lefties didnt like when poor people got run out of their own country 🤣

[@joefish6546]

I'm binge watching these Campbell interviews. Can't believe I just found them in 2019.

[@gazogden1980]

Same

[@ItsMe-yn6ql]

Likewise they're great

[@garsm2290]

People forget Campbell was an excellent journalist at the Daily Mirror.

[@wbafc1231]

Christ, are you a Sado-masochist!

[@ianosborne188]

If? Tony Has been and Is doing Great things in Africa and The Middle East.. Then Why are They Coming to The West And England In Their DROVES!!! CLINTON FOUNDATION🤔😂😂😂 BREXIT ROCKS AND BORIS TRUMP Are Results of Leftist Egotistical Power Tripping.. Over The People.. The PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. It's Time To Be RIGHT and Fly The RED CROSS BANNER ALOFT.. Kosovo? Islamist Problems Were Helped By The 'WEST' Involvement Payed Meddlings.. BORDERS BORDERS That's the Way Forwards.. Tony has to Pay for His crimes and Mistakes.. TRUMP ROCKS! TRUMP is The Voted in Leader As Is BORIS.. Hallelujah The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways..🙏 Killery Clinton😱😏 TRUMP ROCKS! And I Love the Ways He Triggers The Snowflake Libtards ❄️😂😂😂😂 CORBYN Is Out!! What a Christmas gift Ohhh and My Birthday🎂🎉🎉🎉 Let's Not talk about Obama or OBOMBA.. What a PooLava of A Video.. Bye Bye.

[@Hannah-jb5xj]

This comment section is literally everything bad about politics that he was talking about. People just believing everything the polarised media says and not being able to conduct civil conversation and build bridges.

[@SRPC21]

Had this been a Conservative interviewing Blair, you’d have a point but it’s not really an “interview” when both people were side by side agreeing with absolutely everything which is talked about here. Similarly if Dominic Cummings interviewed Boris, it’d be hard to look at it from a neutral perspective. This type of “interview” just alienates the other side, I wouldn’t see it as “neutral” or “balanced” and no one else in their right mind would unless they agreed with them both.

[@RankinFitch8]

@Proper Gander 17 What!!! Like Saddam you mean?

[@RankinFitch8]

@Proper Gander 17 Oh, so you've never heard of Mustard Gas, Tabun, Nerve Agent? If you want to discuss Iraqi baby killers, you might want to do some reading on the despot who was committing Genocide on his own people.

[@Writeous0ne]

When it comes down to it, the left believes in group responsibility/putting people into categories and the right believes in individual responsibility/seeing people as individuals. I believe we are all ultimately responsible for the decisions and actions we make and that help from others should be welcomed but never demanded. I consider my self right wing.

[@RankinFitch8]

@Proper Gander 17 Don't let the truth get in the way of a good trolling will you.

[@McKamikazeHighlander]

Whatever he's done, whatever his real motives, you cannot deny Blair is still a bloody good politician. By far the most skilled at what he does in the UK today - including how to dodge a question without looking like he's dodging it. No wonder Cameron modeled his image on him

[@sherlockgnomes8971]

Bloody is definitely an accurate word to describe him..

[@maureenstarr5744]

A disgrace Narcissist

[@matta-g8490]

"vs" lol

[@nathansamuel222]

I disagree with Campbell's politics but can't deny he's a fantastic interviewer - his honesty about his time in power is refreshing

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Honesty is not known to be synonymous with Blair and his lair-in-chief Campbell.

[@goldenlion647]

Blar said his values haven't changed, if he was a liar then, he is still a liar now.

[@rrickarr]

So true! He probes and asks the right questions and doesn´t let anyone get away with pat answers. The first of his interviews which I saw was that with the Archbishop of Cantebury-Justin Welby.

[@matc1828]

They wonder why Putin and the like are the way they are with that narrow minded view western politicians like Campbell and Clinton are always pushing of how bad they are! Limiting negotiations and discourse with these countries?!

[@joshjwillway1545]

@@goldenlion647 Did he leave the UK in a worse or better state than he found it?

[@dionysiaex5538]

"I have a huge amount of humility" - Tony Blair

[@henridobbs2423]

it's a Tony Blair special that comment.

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

Taken completely out of context though..

[@tonyresham8096]

Inquisitor Vex .

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

tony resham. *tipps fedora*

[@peterallison4464]

Really !!! To know is to hate him

[@danny16moore]

Worth voting Labour just to see blairs face when he's asked about Prime Minister Corbyn.

[@BritishJuche]

danny16moore Haha too right!

[@cloudstrife206]

Yeah send the country into ruin good thinking 🤨

[@soulmate7]

Blair will be saying "I told you so" after Corbyn's defeat in 2022

[@Tad1945]

why all the hate son.

[@rainblaze.]

danny16moore its because that ship has already sailed, where as he still has to deal with the U.S. as a middle east diplomat. ... did you listen to the whole interview?

[@mhl8396]

Just imagine if in 2007, Gordon Brown had not bullied opponents out of the way, and David (not Ed) Miliband had been allowed to run for the Labour leadership. Imagine he had won it. He could have held an election, say in 2008, and probably scraped through. David Cameron would have resigned the Tory leadership. Just imagine what our country might have looked like now.

[@mhl8396]

@banana_split961 no Brexit

[@jonnobloggs8642]

The Tories may well have won the next one in 2012/2013 and Labour nay well have moved slightly to the left but not with Corbyn as leader .

[@tanveerhasan2382]

Sad

[@hyperboreandream]

Imagine imagine imagine. Imagine David Miliband is the panacea to all our political problems. Sometimes you can't change the tide of history.

[@crazywiener11]

@mhl8396 What you are imagining is weaker opponents winning, opponents who could not adapt as well enough and won. What you are imagining is fantasy.

[@noemptychairs4283]

Two grown men: "what do you dream about" "lots of different things"

[@stevenangus4251]

Each other

[@NPC-st7zv]

More wars

[@carolinecollett956]

Two grown men with two different journeys on their last chapters

[@Josh-vg2lj]

One grown PM, one grown spin doctor

[@trytwicelikemice7516]

Whether or not you agree with either man, it's a very interesting conversation and it's worth listening closely to what they both say.

[@NPC-st7zv]

You mean it's worthwhile to listen to proven liars to hear what a convincing liar sounds like.

[@nicholassmith3719]

Good point.

[@garystokes6407]

They r both VERY VERY VERY DANGEROUS

[@rrickarr]

That is because they are both articulate and informed persons.

[@dreamer2260]

@@rrickarr Indeed.

[@adam7896]

Hang on. You got Tony Blair's former "press secretary and director of communications and strategy" to interview... Tony Blair about Jeremy Corbyn? Bate.

[@imaweerascal]

Alastair Campbell does interviews for GQ, he's interviewed Owen Jones for example.

[@adam7896]

Hold tight the British GQ/Jeremy Corbyn interview.

[@alexanderdavidsonbryan7264]

Did you actually watch it? They talk about Corbyn for about 5 minutes, and even then Blair says he doesn't want to talk about it. Most of the time Campbell is just grilling him.

[@NickQuinn1986]

Alex Davidson Bryan I was surprised how much Campbell grilled him. It annoys me that Blair can't admit to his mistakes I.e. Getting too close to the press.

[@stevenward2116]

?????????????

[@candid4463]

Blair only fell out of favour with the public when he fell out of favour with Murdoch. That says it all really.

[@KatchouroBlade]

He also fell into Wendy Deng.

[@simontruss4816]

KimboKray so that's why he lost 200,000 members and got 5% less than Corbyn in 2005.. Ok..

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Didn't know the Murdoch media was against the Gulf wars.

[@iangascoigne8231]

Simon Truss And Blair won elections Corbyn has already lost one.

[@peterstill3760]

Simon Truss, what does it say about the sad state of the country that Corbyn, a narrow minded avowed communist of the old with zero chance of ever being PM, would win in any election against a modern socialist, former PM and world class leader ? I guess it means that the only other thing the people could do to add to the madness is Brexit. Now to better that they have to undo the union.

[@sonicwingnut]

As soon as I saw the title I thought "well this is gonna be a fucking circlejerk, isn't it?"

[@sam_toland]

I was surprised it wasn't. The Corbyn part is 5 mins, the rest is on past, middle east, trump etc. and Campbell actually pushes it quite far, taking advantage of their relationship...

[@atventertainment8071]

You can say what ever you want about Blair however you can not deny the fact that Tony Blair left this country in a much better state than it was in 1997.

[@deepzepp4176]

Haha. Good one.

[@kitstorm7637]

Indeed - I massively disagree with many things he did, but things like increased funding for the NHS and devolved parliaments are things I have been very grateful for.

[@euanhamilton3471]

And the minimum wage

[@will-xh3ji]

The awful foundations for devolution, the EU, and over lending to those who cant afford it... he didn't do well

[@tinynijman9077]

Very good interview👍 I agree with Alastair Campbell that the behaviour of the media were already for a long time behaving disrespectful also under Tony Blair. John Major had also a tuff time with them.

[@DSQueenie]

Okay, 15 minutes in and I'm very impressed with Campbell using the word "we". Surprisingly he's not shirking from his involvement.

[@RankinFitch8]

Why would he shirk from ending Mass Genocide of the Kurds!

[@akbarrauf2741]

2 MILLION DEAD SOULS IN IRAQ AND THE MOURNERS WILL NEVER FORGIVE THIS MAN

[@schlongersaurus]

@olehomer1988 jesus wouldnt want you to tell others that their religion is fake

[@dmg8530]

Thanks GQ for enabling this and for the upload. A really good listen and watch. Agreed with parts, disagreed with others, but mainly just interesting to see and hear two big figures of New Labour (one obviously more important!) talk for one hour

[@soaringcrow]

Fascinating interview! As much as Tony Blair tried to remain neutral and passive, Alister Campbell wonderfully managed to bring out Mr. Blair’s true feelings. A wonderful, refreshing interview. People in position of power are human and anybody who’s been in a tough spot would know, decisions are always a gamble. If it doesn’t work out, you’ve to bear the burden for the rest of your life.

[@afgor1088]

Blair and Campbell aren't. They forfeited their humanity by murdering a million civilians

[@ozzie2612]

@@afgor1088 no they didn't

[@afgor1088]

@@ozzie2612 killing a million people doesn't forfeit your right to humanity? ... yikes goodbye creep.

[@PeachesandCream225]

@@ozzie2612 yes they did...

[@ozzie2612]

@@PeachesandCream225 no they didn't

[@sabrinadesouzasantos63]

The problem was that there wasn't enough of a change between Tony, Gordon and then Ed. That is what allowed JC to take control of the party.

[@sherlockgnomes8971]

Welcome to 2024, Corbyn doesn’t exist 😂

[@ThuckBuddies]

I would love to see a follow-up specifically to address Labour gaining seats and May collaborating with the DUP to stay in power (seeing as Alastair brought up the fact that she came away from us in Norn Iron seemingly carefree following the collapse of Stormont Executive), as well as all the other scandals and mysteries politics has thrown up in the last few weeks. Yeah, I mostly mean Trump but I also mean handling of Grenfell and attempts to do away with human rights legislation and net neutrality/privacy in response to terror attacks.

[@ZiggyMercury]

We can also have a follow-up specifically to address how Jeremy Corbyn's Labour suffered in 2019 the greatest Labour defeat in 84 years...

[@lucienlucieno9325]

Was this interview done before the 2017 general election?

[@LucienHughes]

49:27 Campbell has a bit of a Malcolm Tucker moment.

[@GoogleUser-lk6xn]

No Joke Malcom Tucker was actually based on Alistair Campbell

[@oliverholmes-gunning5372]

More like Pt. Frazer from Dad's Army

[@tomrogers7110]

Kid gloves. Made from real kids.

[@djjs91]

For all the huge mistakes of the Blair government, and for his rather seedy conduct post-premiership, Tony Blair's government has an enormous list of great achievements, transforming the country for the better, and which surely must be appreciated by anyone who considers themselves left-wing. Blair enacted much more radical and left-wing policies than was realised, because in rhetoric he stuck firmly to the centre (much the same but in reverse of what Cameron and Osborne have done). We on the left have got to stop rubbishing the record of the last Labour government if we want to see another one. I don't find Blair likeable at all but I recognise the great achievements of his government. Corbyn is very different in style and rhetoric but there is little difference in the policies he is suggesting.

[@Burnstein209]

Here here!!

[@MrYorickJenkins]

What are the achievements? Massive immigration? Iraq war? Further decline of manufacturing industries? Scottish parliament? Maybe Good Frieday but wasnt that the achievemnt of predecessors?

[@fritzeger]

I would agree with you.

[@leegibbs1727]

The left have done it to Macdonald, Wilson, callaghan, blair and to some extent brown it is a very strange set of circumstances

[@MrYorickJenkins]

@@leegibbs1727 What have the left done to Macdonald, Wilson and Callaghan? Or do you possibly mean "too" and not "to"?

[@dommidavros2211]

This looks more like a conversation than a battle!

[@jasonkingshott2971]

It is nothing more than staged Pantomine!

[@nondescriptbrit]

Very illuminating and interesting interview. I actually think Blair came across as a human being, even if I don't agree with some of the decisions he has made, or his justifications for them. Immediately went and got hold of the Peter Pomerantsev book as well, looking forward to getting into that!

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Unfortunately you seem so gullible.

[@brianbozo2447]

A narcissistic sociopathic human being perhaps. No remorse , no emotion, wants to overturn the democratic will of the majority re Brexiit, 200 trips o the middle east yet the ME appears to only become more repressive and autocratic.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

@@brianbozo2447 Sounds like you're talking about the odious toad Tony Blair.

[@goldenlion647]

@@jasonkingshott2971yip, sure is.

[@EVSmith-by9no]

Brian Bozo The Middle East is getting more oppressive and autocratic because of the idiots here who blindly criticise intervention which prevents our leaders from enforcing human rights. Autocrats see we’ve no appetite for intervention and they get away with a lot more eg Syria.

[@chrissparkes6497]

Blair is very intelligent tbh and his points are completely valid - I’m generally right wing but completely get his explanation

[@blondechild666]

I feel that you are a person that I could possibly ask. Why are you right wing? I am left wing, and some things are so ingrained that it's difficult to understand why you could think in that way. I believe I have a good grasp on why I believe what I believe, but also understand I could be wrong. I've been left politically adrift and wondering what it is to see beyond the stereotype and really... just what is it?

[@thegoodpimps]

@@blondechild666 To me as a religious man, it seems the left wing is always on the side of the underdog, which ignores that although society as it is setup favors people with the upperhand, God is also on the side of the underdog. The loser now will be later to Win. Ideally a person should experience both sides of life, wealth and poverty, power and impotence, victory and defeat. That is the path of being a full human able to recognize the divine spark inside every human being, and all the other creations known and unknown to us. I see no tragedy in a person falling, I only see tragedy in a person who loses the will to rise.

[@JoshuaRoss2]

This video is a clear reminder to us all in our own lives how quickly we become old and stuck in the past

[@peace-now]

It can happen, but the video states the opposite. Most of us learn from the past and live in the present. Tony Blair actually looks forever young and is trying to make things better in today's world and looking to the future.

[@metastract]

@@peace-now well said.

[@zephergaming4437]

He was youthful twelve thirteen years ago, now he looks likes he’s aged thirty years, I guess being duped into killing 2 millions people and destabilising an entire region does that to you.

[@zephergaming4437]

SugarTomAppleRoger He isn’t making things better, he had a chance to change the world and dictate history but he chose to be on the wrong side of it

[@peace-now]

@@metastract Thank you.

[@warwickaldermanchannel2340]

Hi! My name's Warwick; and, I have a huge amount of humility.

[@pippipster6767]

I have many skills and great superior ability ... but I’m most proud of my modesty 🤣

[@india_soale]

They should be having this discussion in a cell wearing prison uniform.

[@draculanova6548]

Yeah, whatever.

[@Pragnantweggyboard]

Dracula Nova Blairite wankstain sighted.

[@LeMagnum440]

100% right.

[@DM-rp9ik]

And why is that

[@sheep3370]

Six enquiries and no charges

[@hemipemi]

I see he hasn't forgotten how to lie. Absolutely shameless man.

[@bencomley118]

Alastair is an excellent interviewer, one of the best around at the moment. Constantly questions every answer and squeezes a real answer out of the people he speaks to. Very engaging to watch.

[@rsb8380]

He used to be a journalist, before he got involved principally in politics, so too right that he appears to be a competent interviewer.

[@reeceballantyne9497]

He’s also a war criminal fun fact

[@andrewbutcher3391]

Fascinating stuff....I don’t even need to read the comments to know what people will say but we must be open to debate to get to the right answers. Things are not black and white always in politics and the problem we have now is opinions are being stated as facts....

[@hammondpickle]

I would love to see a follow-up interview between these two, given what has transpired in the 2.5 years since this was made.

[@michaelconroy5668]

They have done one recently on The Rest is Politics podcast.

[@alexharrison9340]

Should be 'The Rest in Peace Victims of Blairite War Criminality Podcast.'

[@jamespayter6948]

@@alexharrison9340 Grow up

[@alexharrison9340]

@@jamespayter6948 Thank you, I'd like to grow up to be not a mass murdering war criminal. How about you?

[@Harrycaine14]

Campbell at 52:27 "You only fell out with Murdoch when he started getting angry about Wendi..." Speaks volumes.

[@NessieAndrew]

Great catch

[@letmedemonstrate100]

This is a great interview - Respect to Alastair Campbell, as he asked the right questions despite their close relationship.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

So gullible!

[@goldenlion647]

Its staged, can't you see it?

[@bengaisford3304]

Was Pakistan mentioned? Torture of british citizens abroad based off torture confessions?

[@jesusbermudez6775]

"If only a man could die twice" was said by a person who saw Hussein's photo after he was hanged. At that moment the emotion of anger fed on him.

[@benstevenson4832]

good interview interesting!

[@yellyman5483]

Interesting interview. Blair is refusing to criticize Trump and May, but he`s more than willing to go after Corbyn.

[@morganetches3749]

i forgot how silly his voice is

[@Momchil92]

You've obviously been drowning in your entrenched views

[@WILLtTHOMPSON2906]

1:02 "Yah, Gap Yah, Yah"

[@MrYorickJenkins]

Yes, it is the voice of a public school boy artificially trying to sound a bit of a lad with a working class twang. Sad.

[@Tad1945]

going and listen to david cameron then.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Enough to make you throw up!

[@IMPROVETuition]

As much as we dislike Tony on Iraq and the aftermath, in his first 5 years of his first term, the papers use to treat him like a celebrity. His terms created new schools and hospitals. Yes there was a "global" shut-down of the economy in 2008 but as much as we may feel angry about Iraq, he did "good" for the cap on classroom sizes, incentives for trainee teachers, creatively designed schools and hospitals with clever ways to deal with the shortages of staff, commuunity officers second to qualified policemen but on the flipside, we should also not forget how many of these were destroyed in Iraq.

[@kazamshah4543]

I still love him. Those days were great. Everything is so horrible these days.

[@mobro538]

There are only 2 things I don’t like about Blair: Iraq and the PFI/privatisation of hospitals. If he hadn’t done those 2 things, he’d probably be in contention for my favourite Prime Minister ever.

[@crossedpolars]

Two people with the blood of hundreds of thousands on their hands. And they are thriving to this day!

[@danielhall6354]

that's an insane thing to say

[@crossedpolars]

@@danielhall6354 did you ever hear of the Iraq War?

[@danielhall6354]

you realise that the war would have happened even without the uk right? The UK's contribution was minimal compared the the USA. I think we have to be a bit more thoughtful and nuanced than just calling them murderers. @@crossedpolars

[@crossedpolars]

@@danielhall6354 are you familiar with the chilcott enquiry and the sexed up dossier? Oh the Americans were going to do it anyway. I expect some integrity from politicians, naive as that sounds, and I think lying your country into a war, that causes tremendous human casualties is a crime. The destabilizing effect of the war led to the formation of isis. Not everybody has a problem with that sort of conduct of course, you are entitled to your opinion.

[@eml9147]

Alastair Campbell's perception that Trump envies Putin's totalitarian power aged beautifully

[@hiddenknowledge2012]

He was actually very correct about Corbyn and Labour.

[@sjewitt22]

Any one watched the killings of Tony Blair?

[@RankinFitch8]

anyone watched the Genocide of the Kurds?

[@baptistetequi1263]

that interview was a treat so much to learn from the way they interact and which questions tony considers to hot to answer atm all you raging marxists in the comment section will never forgive tony for saving labour back in the 90s

[@jasonkingshott2971]

So gullible!

[@jasonkingshott2971]

It is called acting, staged.

[@d12cov38]

its just beautiful to hear intelligent people exchange views

[@ivanwover]

Well he saved them, but also destroyed them for all time. Surveys have shown Scotland went SNP over being lied to re the Iraq war and I suspect the same is true of red wall seats and elsewhere. You talk to middle classes and they can't imagine the working classes still or ever cared about it, but talk to people in Stoke etc and they can't forgive labour for what happened.

[@andrewsmith423]

alistair does ask all the right questions in these interviews......especialy in this one......he is being honest.......i take my hat off to alistair.......i agree with his political views too

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Campbell and honesty don't really go hand in hand, historically, that also includes Blair.

[@mischuschubhan3618]

He asked the right questions? Yes but they definitely rehearsal this before camera was on

[@kc8181]

A very good interview actually.

[@ryanbunce2543]

Any idea what Campbell is asking at 19:26? I can't make it out

[@tezzathetattedtoad1089]

"What do you dream about then?"

[@MrLaurieD1996]

I really really wish this Interview had occurred after the General Election result...

[@ZiggyMercury]

You mean the ones Labour lost (again)?

[@tris4082]

Whether you like these two or not, we need more serious politicians like this.

[@andymrkipling]

You've got one. Rishi Sunak.

[@macbethhm]

@@andymrkipling Absolutely not. What a joke.

[@dyl0034]

Comparing PMQs from 1997 to a few weeks ago... I'd forgotten we used to have serious politicians...

[@freddytait7726]

Autocratic

[@ozzie2612]

@@andymrkipling wishy washy

[@jond7240]

Fascinating. Really interesting interview; I'd forgotten how clever Blair is. On Iraq: Blair takes a remarkable line that only a lawyer could hold in his brain! He somehow separates the act of removing a dictator (good thing) from the consequences - which he concedes were a result of their lack of knowledge of religious & ethnic divisions in Iraq. This is like chopping off your arm because your wrist hurt and while bleeding to death consoling yourself that your wrist pain has gone...and do your critics want a bad wrist! Campbell is absolutely right about how to tackle the menace of the anti-British, right-wing press.

[@jond7240]

It doesn't have that premise. Read it again.

[@TT_1221]

Well said.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Blair is clever, in fact probably the best, at lying!

[@alexgood1039]

Blair: doesn’t want to criticize Trump, Theresa May, Bush, Brexit. Quite happy to pile on Corbyn and openly show disdain. Sums up the modern day Labour Party. Such a slimeball.

[@jasonbax1379]

still very committed!! yea to you

[@Youtuber-qt5rn]

Brilliant interview!

[@gazogden1980]

Blair seems more level headed than Campbell.. Who'd have thunk it?!

[@spewter]

Level-headed when you’ve instigated a war that killed thousand and thousands is disturbing.

[@ozzie2612]

@@spewter so what

[@skepticsanalysis528]

In the US, the public would call Campbell disrespectful for this. Stellar Journalism Sir!

[@dixienormus7452]

49:27 does Campbell just drop the F BOMB lol ??????? 😲😲🙊🙊😂😂

[@SA-oq5lz]

Not really a big deal since he's not in politics anymore

[@DavidBello]

wow they really stick him with tough questions, unlike the soft TV "journalists" in America.

[@penguin3529]

17:38 At least this shows Campbell can feel guilt, unlike Blair. having watched his interview with Owen Jones my respect for Campbell increased slightly. He is intelligent and again unlike Blair here, is able to acknowledge where he got things wrong.

[@JoeyRhubarb]

Owen Jones is a cretin.

[@shanginadildo]

@@JoeyRhubarb his views are generally sensible but I agree he's difficult to like

[@taragragg400]

All I remember is that scene from the Queen. The Cheshire Cat Grin. Oh no he is disappearing.

[@londonresist9130]

'Have dreamt about Gordon?' Lolololol

[@enemywithin1295]

44:45 He was spot on.

[@aspiknf]

Tony's spin doctor is interviewing him??

[@ALTEEL]

Exactly, hahaha this is ridiculous

[@th8257]

@@ALTEEL Alistair Campbell has done a whole range of interviews which can be found here on KZbin. Quite a lot of them are well worth watching.

[@djpaulhannon]

Could you not have uploaded this with the volume up above "Helen Keller" mode?

[@arc236]

Come on Tone: describe your dreams about Gordon. Campbell is right: he must have them, and vice versa too - Gordon must dream about Big Tone. It’d be fascinating if they’d both come clean.

[@josephinemurphy9421]

Britain are lucky to have had tony blair as prime minister wish he'd run again

[@Burnstein209]

Too right! Here, here!!

[@wendyroberts5258]

ha ha ha ha very funny comment

[@ralphvandereb66]

hilarious ha ha

[@jasonkingshott2971]

I agree, right over Beachy Head would be a good place to start!

[@NotthatRossKemp]

Who remembers being the one of the hundreds of thousands that marched against the war in Iraq? That's when I knew we did not live in a democracy!

[@isoaqua5825]

2 million marched.

[@MrSamBroughton]

Same here. Biggest global protests in history. The man is criminal.

[@Charlie-rk5ts]

The third biggest march was the Countryside Alliance one to stop the ban on Fox Hunting. (400’000) I think that shows that protests are hardly important or influential

[@jaquesravalec242]

Incorrect. Most didn't march and he won the next general election.

[@GH-oi2jf]

Ross Kemp - You live in a representative democracy, in principle.

[@chrisjames1924]

I can't believe he said the 'Wendy' word!

[@Lamilton82828]

How’s GQs circulation this year

[@TheUnomosh]

Not a fan of Corbyn and his band of merry Marxists but the policies they have proposed in the draft manifesto are excellent. Might consider voting for them now. Maybe.

[@liamwilson5199]

Please, please do. This offer I genuinely do believe is a once in a generation, this side of politics will (wrongly) die if it is rejected in June.

[@sjewitt22]

Surely the policies are what is important, and i you like them i can't which other party you could vote for as a tory government will be basically the opposite.

[@Aperki2010]

There would inevitably be issues if Corbyn's Labour won, but we'd have an easier time ensuring such issues are corrected within a party with genuinely good intentions, than we would against a party rather efficiently selling everyone beneath them out.

[@borderlands6606]

I agree Marcus Aurelius. Now he just needs to get rid of every member of his shadow cabinet and he might be electable.

[@asdfgh565]

Making promises is easy, finding money to pay for it without creating huge amounts of debt, not so much.

[@01parmy]

pair of them should be sharing a jail cell , not making millions

[@BT-kc3ee]

Thats an original and though provoking comment. Well done.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

What a waste of tax payer's money, just hand them over to ISIS.

[@debbiegamon1232]

It is the decision making that was the problem as far as I can see. Running for office means responsibility and deciding to go to war seemed to me at the time to be an error. It caused many deaths.

[@WoodomainJeremyBroun]

'I,I,I...' and then he uses 'you' referring again to 'me me me' !

[@berenneale3701]

I went on the anti-war march, and I've never voted for Blair, but I find it strange the way people - mainly liberals/progressives/lefties - reduce his governance to foreign policy. No leader is going to be a hero, but it feels a lot of people wanted one, and when they realised Blair was just a normal politician, with a slick system to transmit his message, they felt betrayed. One thing I do agree with Blair is you need to be in power to make lasting change.... min wage, economic stability, devolved power to Scots/Welsh/N. Ireland, independent Bank of England... Not bad. If you can't appreciate any of that because he went to war with Iraq for I think genuine reasons (for him), I think you're in a safe space of pure protest, offering little to the debate, and with nothing to lose. That's not real politics.

[@th8257]

The left treated other labour prime ministers similarly. They do so because being in government means dealing with reality - and that ribs them of their dreams of utopia.

[@dreamer2260]

Completely agree.

[@debbiegamon1232]

Did minimum wage mean lots of work is shifted outside UK?

[@hermankatnip]

If you want to know whether he thinks Corbyn will become prime minister save yourself 44:00 minutes. He does everything but say no

[@kenrunciman8706]

Why aren't these two men in prison?

[@HardeepSingh-yd2nx]

Should put up lino of the 1994 interview

[@jackybrown6575]

Good Video, Alistair! Keep them up!

[@jasonkingshott2971]

.....what, the lies!

[@goldenlion647]

are you kidding, the whole things a farce.

[@marcperrett662]

just reading a selection of the comments below, tony blair still to this day invokes huge differences in opinion -the mistakes made in iraq are a lesson to any european leader or coalition about the absolute costs of removing the incumbent goverment by force in a country with huge underlying racial and ethnic religous differences in the population. By not having any practical idea what came after the military campaign, after destroying saddams infrastructure, was a massive failure which allowed a civil war to start that killed hundreds of thousands of iraqis. i can only imagine what middle eastern leaders think of tony blair of all people giving them advice on local sectarian issues.

[@tomormiston6592]

I think a followup post 2017 GE would be interesting.

[@sidevans1]

and a post 2019 one

[@aaronr9306]

Brilliant

[@charliehungerford]

This is terrific. I recently met Alastair Campbell. He's actually charming and funny. His self examination is relentless. Blair is also very engaging here, but still evasive. I think their respective self image informs their contrasting approach - Campbell believes his role is best played out in the media and for that he needs to be a provocateur, Blair wants to affect change directly and that means building consensus and not pissing Off potential partners. Including Trump. Respecting Trump is a novel Approach for a progressive, but I think he may be right. Better to be in the tent pissing out. Except I doubt Trump even knows who Blair is.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Some people are so gullible.

[@dreamer2260]

@@jasonkingshott2971 Cynicism is not wisdom.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

@@dreamer2260 "Cynicism" is Blair's and Campbell's middle name.

[@dreamer2260]

@@jasonkingshott2971 No, it isn’t. That’s the point. As Blair said, he’s still basically optimistic, and that’s always been the case. It’s people like you, who’ve been propagandised by the right wing that are full to the brim with hatred and cynicism. And these lead you to false conclusions.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

@@dreamer2260 Reading your reply had me in stiches. The best thing for Tony (I'm the messiah) Blair is to hold his hands up and admit all his failings while in government from selling off the country's gold for a pittance to the Gulf war to reneging on a promised referendum on the so-called Lisbon Treaty, to his meddling in the country's democratic instruction to leave the corrupt EU, the list just keeps giving. Apart from his family, although I wouldn't put my money on it, Blair's liar-in-chief Campbell and Blair's poodle Adonis, most of the country who knew of/know of him want him in prison having absolutely nothing to do with left or right wing. Don't take my word for it, it's all over social media. People don't give a toss about his so-called "foundation".

[@Hardman._]

That clown that makes Ronald McDonald jealous.

[@HighLordBlazeReborn]

In which Darth Vader interviews Palpatine.

[@theironcurry8239]

Volumes too low on this, have it at top Volume and can barely hear it

[@RankinFitch8]

buy a better laptop

[@borderlands6606]

Blair was a well meaning bloke, bit of a twerp, product of his upbringing, but not the war criminal that has pursued him since. I reckon he chose not to defend himself because he did make mistakes and the court of popular opinion is his form of penance. I also think he has come to realise that being PM means you function in a restricted way politically and financially, and fixing the big global stuff is incompatible with being a party politician.

[@lukejfmccann]

really well put.

[@dogsanthem]

Are you joking? The whole 2010/2015 Conservative general election campaign was based on the idea of "not giving the keys back to the driver that crashed the car". Lots of people blamed labour for the crash, and it worked.

[@dogsanthem]

They did mitigate the damage. Gordon Brown is revered globally for his work to prevent a global recension slipping into a global depression. The huge spending was predominately from the bank bailout. Had that not occurred our whole economy would have collapsed. The direct tory quote was "do not give the keys back to the driver that crashed the car". That is nothing to do with mitigation that is about cause and blame.

[@borderlands6606]

In case anyone thinks I'm a Blair stooge for the above opinion, I'm a social and moral conservative Labour voter who thinks Blair is and was a free market laissez faire liberal, allowed the party to become divided for his own ends, should have re-nationalised the railways, have held back on Iraq and a host of other complaints. That doesn't detract from the good he did in ousting a morally bankrupt Conservative government of Archer, Hamilton, Aitken and the rest. Anyway, Blair has absented himself from the highest office simply by becoming a Catholic! My views are nearer Peter Hitchens than Tony Blair.

[@mgrimble3975]

+L GH this is simply not true, the conservatives had matched Labours spending plans pound for pound until the end of 2008. They were also arguing at the time that the banks were over regulated and that rules needed to be relaxed. As for mitigating damage, had brown not bailed out the scumbag banks that caused this mess it would have been far worse for the large majority of people. Labour had already started the recovery by 2010, the coalition came in and cut investment and spending massively which pushed us into recession. This is what happens when you appoint someone with a masters degree in history to run an economy. It took them another 3 years to realise that without investment spending we would not recover at which point they effectively used Ed Balls spending plans to get them out the mess, they did this quietly ofc they don't want to bring attention to what utter frauds they are :P ...

[@kylekane4952]

Blair was a brilliant politician and the most successful labour leader, ever. It's crazy how carefully he has to choose his words because he knows anything he says will be twisted on the front page the next day.

[@nickjung7394]

Kyle Kane I would have thought Atlee or Gaitskill were far more successful....and honest than Blair ever was

[@kylekane4952]

By success I mean winning and he brought in a lot of good policies too, minimum wage for example. Blair won three elections in a row, even after the Iraq war, and is the longest serving Labour prime minister.

[@harperonline]

As for the Comment about the value of Sterling, they are both catastrophically incorrect

[@crawfordism]

What a click bait title. I think being interviewed by your mates is really inadequate journalism, but I think that's kind of obvious

[@roshanabey2]

This is a really bizarre interview;

[@graemeyetts3465]

Neither of them Could take this banter seriously surely!?

[@vladimirdosen9767]

Invisible hand is re-branding the old chums. Nice.

[@jk28416]

should have got tony benn to interview him

[@tgazza1587]

very interesting at the end about the power of the media. Campbell really had Blair on the ropes there.

[@CoolbloodMr]

Listen to him at the 11 minute mark. The man doesn't feel remorse! He's still not being upfront. He's still not being clear, he's still trying to justify things. It's always spin spin spin with Tony, never a direct answer. This is where Corbyn is a 100 times better. Listen to him speak, he tells you what he thinks clearly and unapologetically, no spin, no vague answers, which is ironically why he does bad with media. Blair is style over substance, Corbyn is the opposite.

[@mdluk199]

CoolbloodMr I don't agree with your assessment but either way Blair won 3 elections where as Corbyn will actually kill off the Labour party as a serious political force.

[@MetalMew2]

Mark199. Jeremy Corbyn won 4 or more and hasn't got a track record of voting against the many for the few or controversial Wars, i bet you would shudder if you saw Blairs record on so called "issues" a elitist big society Thatcherism lover, selling off our housing and public assets to blame "public spending" or Labour for what? being poor after a privately engineered recession...a real terms wage increase instead of rising bills and stagnant wages anyday thank you

[@MetalMew2]

Spinning, Detracting, obfuscating, mitigating or being indignant...tick any that apply.

[@MetalMew2]

Your opinion is none of the above just because you apparently agree with him, it is a factual observation of his demeanor to say he is quite unapologetic for war crimes he committed so your reply is non-sequitur.

[@MetalMew2]

Why do people say I'm sorry for your loss, if they don't really know you or the person? or "I'll pray for you "etc when they won't.. it is not presumptuous it is the least that can be done.

[@94141295]

A couple of crooks!

[@robmcrob2091]

It is utterly baffling that people hate him and says something very weird and bad about us Brits.

[@the1musiclad]

If not for the Iraq War, I don't think many people would hate him. Taking the country into a war based on lies is fair grounds for a dip in public opinion.

[@SuperHeadman1]

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died but it's ok because I did what I thought was right. His legacy and epitaph.