On this day in 1957

Born of Scottish parents, Alastair Campbell achieved public recognition for his work with Mirror Group Newspapers, initially on its local titles, then on the Daily Mirror and Today, both of which were national papers. He was political editor on both titles.

Following the death of Labour leader John Smith and Tony Blair’s subsequent election as party leader, Campbell left journalism to become Blair’s press secretary. This brought him into the heart of government, where he assisted with the Royal Family’s management of its communications and presentation in the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death in Paris, and the legal run-up to the Iraq War.

Return to journalism

He reduced his involvement in front line politics at the turn of the millennium, which gave him the opportunity to contribute to newspapers and magazines once again, as well as working on a number of books. Much of his work has focused on personal issues, including support for British membership of the European Union, mental health, and alcoholism.

A keen player of the bagpipes, he recorded a track with Scottish musicians to raise money for NHS workers during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.