How Do We Fix Politics? | Alastair Campbell meets Beth Rigby (Part 3)

The Rest is Politics star and political strategist joins us to confront policies that serve the interests of a privileged few, and answer the question so many of us want answered: ‘But what can I do?’
Our politics is a mess. We have leaders who can’t or shouldn’t be allowed to lead. We endure governments that lie and seek to undermine our democratic values. It’s no surprise that so many of us feel frustrated. But what can we, as individuals, actually do about it?
It’s a question regularly posed to Alastair Campbell, not least in reaction to The Rest is Politics, the chart-topping podcast he presents with former Tory Cabinet minister Rory Stewart. His answer, typically, is forthright and impassioned. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. If we think things need to change, then we need to change them, and that means getting involved.
Live on stage in London, he will teach us how we can develop our skills of advocacy and persuasion. Drawing on his long experience, he will offer practical tips for developing confidence, coping with setbacks, and leading a team: in short, a masterclass in becoming a political player. It’s an unmissable event for anyone who wants to make a difference.
Alastair Campbell was official spokesman and director of communications and strategy in Tony Blair’s government from 1994 to 2003. He continued to act as an advisor to the Labour Party during subsequent election campaigns. A consultant writer, strategist and broadcaster, he is still engaged in politics in Britain and overseas. He is also a leading advocate in the field of mental health, and co-presenter of the UK’s most popular podcast of 2022, The Rest Is Politics. Campbell’s first book, The Blair Years, was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. He has since published eight volumes of diaries, a book on the Northern Ireland peace process, four novels, two memoirs on living with depression, including the bestseller Living Better, and Winners, which also went straight to Number One in the Sunday Times charts.
Beth Rigby has worked as a political journalist for over a decade, covering four general elections, the Scottish independence and EU referendums, all the twists and turns of Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the recent run of Conservative prime ministers. Beth also hosts a flagship interview show for Sky News, interviewing big names from all walks of life, from leading politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to prominent figures in our national life from actor Emma Thompson to Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. She also hosts a weekly podcast, Beth Rigby Interviews. Before joining Sky, Beth worked as a newspaper journalist for nearly two decades at The Times and Financial Times, where she held a variety of positions including media editor, deputy political editor and consumer industries editor.

[@poneill65]

MP's; One job, no investments, finances public, all communications on record and open to public inspection. (Don't like it? Don't be an MP!) Parties: public funding only. Elections: PR. Compulsory voting (benefits/tax rebates contingent on it). "None of the above" mandatory option (with reselection & re-run) Second house: elected county/regional representatives with joint control over budgets with parliament. (basically a federalized system with regions having power to bargain with government)

[@bipolarminddroppings]

The only reason there are so many safe seats is because of low turnout. Make voting compulsory.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Yes only if we have a no vote none of the above! As none of the 6 parties at Westminster represent my views. So if voting was made compulsory it must have a none of the listed and if that wins the election must be re-ran

[@gaspode505]

Political parties work for corporate interest example BP shell profits record high. At the same time, budget sublidizing their profits. All scandals that have never been accounted for 😢

[@ogribiker8535]

NO NO NO, the TORIES did this not everyone else. Did you not listen to what was being said ?

[@ianwheeler7513]

I'd like to know what Alastair feels is so hard about changing the voting system .

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Which government is going to change the system that elected them? That's why.

[@johnhobbes2268]

I think on the one hand you need support of your whole party (why should a safe seat person vote to abandon fptp) and on the other hand it I think there will be some barriers so that not every ruling party can change the system to their benefit. Oh and not to mention some media owning rich people who will see their power reduced if fptp falls.

[@ianwheeler7513]

@johnhobbes2268 I agree with that to a point, but look at Scotland it used to be a Labour strong how, personally if PR was introduced there are far more middle of the road voters than right wing, which would lead to a less pendulum type political system.

[@davidlean1060]

The cheek of the man! He was responsible for maintaining Blair's image in the media and is therefoere part of the problem to begin with. Talk about pissing on our backs and then informing us of the correct umbrella to keep the rain off with!

[@robinj6137]

There is really no comparison with how Blair and Campbell did politics and the rule/norm breaking, lying, corruption, erosion of democracy, scapegoating, divide and rule, anti-equality, casual xenophobia, gaslighting and distraction by culture war of this Tory party.

[@qeitkas594]

Younger generations don't care about what happened more than 20 years ago and rightfully so. They live in the here and now with total new problems so what you try to bring up is irrelevant.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Correct a nobody really an ex press officer who has never been elected to a town council

[@CG-or1re]

very glad he pushed back on the whole 'spin' thing. too many journalists believe the malcolm tucker thing

[@persononinternet7868]

why release the talk in parts?

[@willalm830]

let the Tories go the way of the Whigs a footnote in History , after Johnson and Trump and Eton its just one giant mess, get rid of the great British Caste system tax the 1% hard

[@keithfarman8273]

When Blair stood up in Parliament with his ‘40 minutes’ speech: did he not at least “recklessly” mislead Parliament as he KNEW the SERCURITY evidence was not sure enough, validated enough to justify that level of certainty?

[@camillacahill2250]

An appropriate nickname Tony Blair had for you.😂

[@maejohl]

I've developed a real admiration for Alastair Campbell, from his and Rory's podcast - and this discussion with Beth has cemented it. I miss the days of the Blair government, I really do. There hasn't been a more pro-UK, pro-the people, pro-public service government since. Yes Iraq was a disaster; it really was. But in my view it pales into insignificance compared to the Good Friday Agreement and the wealth the Blair government created across public services and the UK generally.

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

Millions of dead Iraqis can't agre with you.

[@TranscendentalDentist]

Campbell is a murderer. Him and Blair need to face trial in the Hague. I don't care if it bores you, Campbell. Say that to the families of your victims.

[@PaulaTerryLancaster]

Would that the interviewer pronounced her final 'g's! The Kofi Annan effect!

[@catgladwell5684]

What has the late UN Sec Gen in question got to do with the pronunciation of final g''s?

[@MrBurtonshaw]

I'd rather not "fix" politics.... that seems to be the situation we have!!! ... suits the suits though¬!

[@ogribiker8535]

So you want more corruption, lies, illegal contracts and Russian money with the Tories do you ??? Really !!!!

[@rickjohnson2165]

Gillard’s misogyny rant is constantly being misinterpreted. She made that speech defending a bloke who was a genuine misogynist, who had switched side to support Gillard and she was attacking a bloke whom many women who knew well said it was utterly untrue. It might have been a good speech, but it was hypocrisy in the context of why it was delivered.

[@colintawn3535]

Listening to Campbell on honest politics is like listening to Putin taliking about Ukraine independence. Blair's spinmeister is in no position to talk about clean and honest politicians. Campbell is a has been and well past his sell by date.

[@bwright227]

Top podcast and massive book sales. Yeah, well past it! 😂

[@zoundsic]

'no one person can make a difference' then describes many making small differences. Obviously these are counter acted against. Supposed to be communicator not peddle confused trite.

[@matthewmiles9626]

Never mind Beth Rigby. Campbell and Blair's lies brought terrorists to our streets killing Lee Rigby.

[@MNDrummer]

"Fixing" politics is really a matter of opinion as some people like radical leftist / Marxist / socialist / communist type politics and others like someone closer to a pure democracy or a democratic republic like in the United States. Of course, politics and economics go hand-in-hand. Do you like a system in which politicians control what is produced, what wages are, and how much products cost or do you prefer a system where free markets and free people dictate these things? Do you like to be controlled or do you like liberty? So, "fixing" is just a matter of what you believe in and how that differs from what you currently have. I prefer liberty and limited government. God Bless America.

[@calastyphon3414]

Why are you making it such a binary thing. That's not how reform or fixing works. If you are going to pretend the UK political system is working when a right wing populist government has literally been caught with its pants down lying then I genuinely wonder what kind of political nuance you are operating at. It's not either the USSR or America, there are things entirely separate and things far less extreme than those.

[@okafka5446]

Sortition.

[@montyriviera795]

How to fix politics? Get rid of unelected spin doctors. Alastair isn't going to fix politics, he's the problem not the solution.

[@bwright227]

Are we going to elect the entire civil service next?

[@Ollie-hp7xm]

Perhaps by not invading Iraq?

[@fairlymajorstationno1298]

get rid of spin doctors sorry liars would be a great start

[@sirbarnabas5027]

People like him are the problem. A toad who made his name as a professional liar and whose lies resulted in a disastrous war that left a million dead. He should be on trial for war crimes not being asked how to fix the politics he helped break.

[@jackthemac132]

The West did not intervene in Syria and it's become one of the greatest (perhaps the greatest) humanitarian crises of this century -- not intervening is a choice too and it's a tough choice to make It's easy to play the hindsight game and blame people who had to actually make the hard decisions

[@jonlascelles6250]

He comes across as spectacularly dishonest

[@lobintool]

Alastair Campbell knows how to fix politics? Oh dear!

[@qeitkas594]

More importantly, how do you fix the people who voted for all these failed politicians in the UK the last decade.

[@bwright227]

How many people bought your book then?

[@lobintool]

@@bwright227 "strawman" or "non-sequitur"? Take your pick!

[@bwright227]

@lobintool so none, is your answer. Thought as much.

[@lobintool]

@@bwright227 and your point is?

[@DavidGraeberWasRight]

Tell us more Mr War Criminal

[@brianstubberfield2116]

You definitely don’t ask dirty dossier Campbell how to fix politics... Jesus. Like asking the gengis khans opinion on tourism!!!!!

[@rosendo3523]

I've lost all faith in this guy as a talking head since his woeful performance on Question Time last week.

[@bwright227]

I think he was one of the only speakers to get applause

[@michaels8638]

It’s simple, 1. tell minorities they are a minority, it stops dead catering for anyone under 10% of the population, shouting loudest from a minority position is bending the majority and slowing government efficiency which stalls growth. 2, change parliament to soundproofed cubical’s with tabled items start at at time slot and replies are from cubicles who only have the mic turned on when its their turn , this will double efficiency in government and turn it into a job they have to be professional at, not a playground. 3, all MP’s lose their seat if they leave a party that they stood for when gaining their seat. 4. Lay foundation for growth by moving away from a FIAT currency to an energy production value.

[@Paul-ie1xp]

We could start by sending Alastair Campbell to the Hague to stand trial.

[@timelwell7002]

For me, Blair's 'New Labour' was defined by the following: (a) Blair's FAILURE to build new Council Houses - affordable and secure accomodation for those on low to medium wages. (b) Blair's FAILURE to re-nationalise Water and Energy (c) Blair's FAILURE to replace crumbling buildings of state schools and hospitals. (d) Blair's FAILURE to produce a Codified Constitution. (e) Blair's REFUSAL to implement Electoral Reform - to change from FPTP to PR with STV. This was Blair going back on a manifesto promise. As a result, we now have sky-high energy bills, a huge housing and homelessness crisis, rawsewage being pumped into our rivers, waterways and coasts, and increasingly draconian legislation being forced through Parliament by the Tories. Blair sought to continue the neoliberal agenda started by Thatcher - and the above list is all the evidence we need to see that this was the case. Blair's legacy is poor indeed - he did nothing to safeguard the good things that New Labour achieve whilst in office.

[@jasonkingshott2971]

Firstly, keeping Blair's Liar-in-Chief and Reomoaner-in-Chief as far away as possible.

[@kp6215]

Who is this male that likes to pontificate?

[@user-fk8rb8ue5h]

To start off you never listen to Alistair Campbell.

[@lvpt84]

Although he's very right in what he's saying.

[@TheNotthediver]

Glasnost and pestroyka. Be open about the corruption of Iraq and don't shy away from the truth out of loyalty to Blair. It's the main obstacle to his legacy really - domestic reforms bland and not enough, but not outright evil. Address this right, and you could be seen as in the right again

[@ceejaywilson1671]

This coming from a liar of the same magnitude as Johnson - if not worse. Campbell's entire political career has been based on and made of spin, distortion, deflection and outright falsehood. One of the most mendacious figures in British politics in the last 40+ years: taking 'advice' on this subject from the likes of Campbell is utterly unreal considering just how much of a large hand he has had in creating this mess.

[@terencerodgers4121]

The difference is Campbell can put a coherent sentence together and is on public display and therefore accountable to your/or anyone's criticism. Johnston cannot put a coherent sentence together and has gone into hiding somewhere in the Cotswolds. Not answering and unaccountable to the British public. Says it all. Dereliction of duty.

[@ceejaywilson1671]

@@terencerodgers4121 The ability to construct coherent sentences should never be disparaged but, and here's the kicker, that ability is not inherently linked to honesty: however, fair play to you; Campbell is a more competent liar than Johnson. As for being on public display, so has Johnson - who has quite rightfully been shown as the relentlessly dishonest egocentric misanthrope that he is and finally brought low for his misdeeds rather than his egregious gross negligence. Campbell's involvement in events such as the Iraq invasion (to mention but one of his crimes) has yet to be answered for. When your former boss is the godfather to his main opponent's kid it has clearly proven enormously beneficial to just how little accountability he has been subjected to.

[@EternalRUSHfan63]

Yet another know it all so called politician !!

[@roddychristodoulou9111]

Asking this guy how to fix politics is a joke . He was nothing but a spin doctor for Blair who's guilty of mass murder and should be tried for war crimes and atrocities .

[@qeitkas594]

What a nonsense. The UK's role in the Iraq war was totally insignificant. The whole thing was run by Rumsfeld and Cheney. The UK's role in numbers and in influence was near zero. But it was a great opportunity of the opposition to topple Blair which you years later are still echoing.

[@darshanakaivalya8748]

POLTICS IS THE REASON WE ARE IN SUCH A MESS. MORE POLITICS IS NOT THE ANSWER. WE NEED SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. WE NEED MERITOCRACY.