Diaries Volume 6: From Blair to Brown, 2005 – 2007

Book excerpt: One might have thought Alastair Campbell would disappear from view as Gordon Brown moved from No. 11 to No. 10. Far from it. Having negotiated the rapprochement which led to Brown taking a central role in the 2005 election win, Campbell then became central to the transition from one Prime Minister to another. Many books have already been written about Brown and Blair, but none with the intimacy and the unique perspective of Alastair Campbell. As this volume opens, Blair has just won a historic third term. But any joy is short-lived and he knows he is running out of road. By the time it ends two years later, Brown is Prime Minister. Campbell was virtually alone in seeing that process from both sides, as Brown began to lean on him almost as much as Blair had done. Meanwhile we continue to get an insight into Campbell's mental health struggles, his attempts to rebuild a normal family life, and the plethora of new challenges he takes on which introduce dozens of new characters, not least the rugby stars he worked with for the British and Irish Lions, and the football legend he has vowed to mention to someone every day for the rest of his life, charity match teammate, Diego Maradona.