Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has branded David Cameron as ‘the least strategic Prime Minister in history’ and labelled the Tories’ promises of recovery ‘complete bollocks’.
To mark 100 days until the General Election 2015, MM talk to Tony Blair’s former right hand man about his predictions for what is expected to be one of the closest fought elections in history.
Campbell, who served as Tony Blair’s Director of Communications and Strategy from 1997 to 2003, told MM that he is confident of a victory for his party leader, Ed Miliband, at May’s general election.
Since leaving Downing Street, 57-year-old Campbell has received acclaim for his work as an author, journalist and broadcaster.
He said: “I find it hard to see where the Tories get a majority. I know I’m biased but I don’t think they have been a very good government.
“Cameron is the least strategic prime minister in history. He was the ‘Big Society’ but now for him, it’s just about getting on the news and looking Prime Ministerial.
“Labour can definitely win in May but they need to do a better job of winning the politics of the economy.”
Campbell has often been outspoken in his praise for Gordon Brown, whose time as Chancellor and Prime Minister is often touted as part of the cause of the economic downturn.
“The economic recovery the Tories go on about, people don’t think it exists,” he said.
“The Tories successfully portray the idea that Labour created the crash and that they’re creating the recovery and it’s complete bollocks.”
The former Daily Mirror writer also heaped scorn on Ukip, but claimed that the two main parties aren’t doing enough to tackle the rise of Nigel Farage’s organisation.
Ukip won their first MPs, Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless in by-elections at the back end of last year, and are predicted to outpoll the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party in May.
Campbell told MM: “Ukip are a protest party, posing as a party that has an agenda. What Nigel Farage is good at is just playing to an image.
“If you are the government or the potential government, you get rightly scrutinised more than the other parties do.
“What happens with parties like Ukip is that the media brings them in when they play against the centre.”
Ukip and their controversial leader have received a considerable rise in their media presence, with Farage recently appearing on the Channel 4 series Gogglebox, as well as taking on Russell Brand on Question Time.
Campbell, however, thinks that while Ukip’s air time has increased, it is the responsibility of Cameron and Miliband to put more pressure on the party.
“The media don’t put Ukip under any scrutiny at all for their own policies,” he added. “Farage has got an image but it is up to the other parties to expose that it’s a complete con.”
Image courtesy of ChatPolitics, via YouTube, with thanks.
