The Burden of Power: Countdown to Iraq - The Alastair Campbell Diaries (130 page)

Basra, Iraq 516, 518–19, 521, 522, 530, 535, 536, 545; TB’s visit 586, 587

Bassett, Phil 73, 80, 81, 176, 265

Bates, Stephen 267

BBC 13; and TB’s CNN interview 15; angers DB 31; reports on TB’s movements 36, 44, 45, 48, 55; coverage of Afghan war angers AC 61–2, 84
and n
; poll of UK Muslims 88
and n
; worried about relations with Labour 89; and AC’s EMU
briefing 94; AC meets Radio 5 bosses 102; and Queen Mother’s death and funeral 199, 205; and AC’s proposed lobby change 221; student finance discussion leaked to 421; coverage of Iraq 512, 529, 530, 531, 540, 544, 554; and story re euro assessment 572, 573, 574; and report on WMD dossier 587
and n
, 595, 596, 599; and FAC 616–33
passim
; and source issue/Dr Kelly 631, 634, 635, 644, 650–54
passim
, 657; and Hutton Inquiry 659, 662, 663, 666, 668, 670, 673, 677, 679, 680, 684, 685, 686, 691;
see also
Marr, Andrew
and below

BBC Radio:
Any Questions
265;
Jimmy Young Programme
148;
PM
147;
The Politics Show
600;
Today
15, 102, 113, 123, 147–8, 159, 237, 268, 300, 308, 311, 318, 319, 344, 371, 392, 410, 428, 530, 587, 621, 626, 628, 634, 636, 654, 661, 663, 688;
The Week in Westminster
332;
Westminster Hour
15, 95, 244, 480;
The World at One
93, 99, 111, 254, 319, 412, 633, 664; World Service 17, 46, 89, 154; World Service Arabic Service 534;
The World This Weekend
86, 407;
The World Tonight
508; ‘Your NHS’ day programmes (2002) 116, 172, 173, 175

BBC TV:
Cabinet Confidential
90;
Newsnight
110, 225, 227, 228, 229, 340, 389, 451, 452, 454, 621, 633;
On the Record
254, 372;
Question Time
232, 233, 265, 428, 605

Beattie, Trevor 206, 426

Beckett, Margaret 179, 185, 193, 250, 253–4; and FMD inquiry report 275, 277; on government’s unclear message 358; dismissive of Humphrys 392; on asylum 430; supports TB on Iraq 470; briefed to do media 506, 509; angry with RC 508; on euro 597, 600; praises AC 600; does conference call with AC 622; good on media 633; angry at AC being blamed for Dr Kelly’s death 650; and AC’s departure 691, 692

Beckham, Brooklyn 323

Beckham, David 162, 190, 224, 225, 323, 552–3, 603, 611

Beckham, Victoria 323

Beecham, Sir Jeremy 373

beef ban 304

Beers, Charlotte 66, 80–81, 85

Beira, Mozambique (2002) 289

Belgrano
(ship) 58
and n

Bell, Andy 693

Benn, Tony Wedgwood 206; interview with Saddam 447

Bennett, Air Marshal Sir Erik 159, 160

Bennett, Mark 230, 236, 237, 647, 692

Bentégeat, General Henri 447

Beresford, Marlon 160

Berger, Sandy 17

Berlusconi, Silvio 16–17; ‘throws a wobbly’ 58; and TB 75, 77, 190, 195, 437, 465; protests at exclusion from ‘Big Three’ meeting 78; on the food agency 112; at NATO summit 236

Best, George 329

Bin Laden, Osama (OBL): and 9/11 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 27, 36
and n
, 50; fears of further attacks from 16, 18–19, 35, 48, 334; whereabouts unknown 18, 21, 27; Al Jazeera video 68, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 83–4, 85, 105, 106, 107, 110–11; on Afghanistan 86; hunt for 91, 93, 105, 108, 120, 135; takes credit for Bali and Chechen attacks 362

Bird, Dickie 425

Birt, John 229, 240, 353, 623, 624, 633, 682

Bishop, Tony 325, 555, 559

Biya, Paul, President of Cameroon 476
and n
, 477

Black, Conrad 584

Black, Guy 208, 215, 216, 228, 230, 239, 240, 241, 244

Blackburn: elections (2002) 217

Blackburn, David 597, 663

Blackburn, Janice 597, 663

Blackburn, Tony 105

Blackmore, Keith 548

Black Rod
see
Willcocks, Lt General Sir Michael

Blackshaw, Alison: works with AC in flight 63, 67, 75, 502; and AC’s interview reviews 64; upset by death of GB’s baby 130; rumoured to have put dossier together 452, 614; satirised by Bremner 453; watches marathon 546; helps AC prepare for FAC 616; types up AC’s diary entries 676, 677–9; mentioned 80, 231, 250, 571, 592, 683

Blackstone, Tessa 605

Blair, Cherie (CB): and Laura Bush 20; and post-9/11 visit to New York 21, 22; rows with TB about Anji Hunter 35; furious about TB’s visit to Pakistan 35; public image 121; and MMR/Leo Blair issue 121, 122, 158; Egyptian holiday 126; in Bangladesh 129; and GB’s baby 130, 132;
Mail
gunning for 142; with TB in Paris 150; US holiday 172, 196; at GWB’s ranch 202, 203; visits Holloway jail 209; monopolises Beckham 224; and Carole Caplin 231, 232, 378; appears to justify suicide bombing 255; TB on 260; her Palestinian charity 262; miscarriage 276, 277, 282; and discussions re Cate Haste’s book 289, 309, 330, 350; and TB’s clothes xx, 294, 314, 326; with him in Russia 325, 326; and Caplin/Foster affair xviii, 376–98
passim
; continues to see Caplin 399, 400; Egyptian holiday 402; chilly at DB’s dinner party 424; her Melbourne shopping spree 552, 554; gives FM a bad time 568; photographed with Caplin 568; worried by press reports 569; and PCC 576; and
Mail
report re Caplin 582–3; on St Petersburg trip 590, 592; agrees to
Harper’s Bazaar
interview 596; and Bermuda trip 569
and n
, 596; reported as going for an Olympics job 600; and meeting of ‘enemies of CB’ 647; fires FM 660–61; congratulates AC after Hutton Inquiry 686; mentioned 28, 33, 133

Blair, Euan xviii, 142, 172, 219, 264, 378
and n
, 383, 384

Blair, Kathryn 202, 219

Blair, Leo 121–2, 156, 160, 202, 209, 219, 238, 280, 282, 297, 352, 397, 576

Blair, Nicky 219, 264

Blair, Tony (TB)

September 2001–March 2002

9/11 and after 3–7; and US policy 5, 6, 7, 8–9, 12–13,
see also
Bush, George W.; meetings with security and military advisers 5, 6, 7–8, 13–14, 16, 18–19; statement in the House 11; CNN Interview 14, 15; and Musharraf (
q.v.
) 13, 15, 17; with Schroeder and Chirac (
qq.v
) 19–20; in US 21–5; at Brussels summit 25–6; clashes with GB 27; conference speech 29, 30, 31, 32–5, 37; with Putin (
q.v.
) 36–7; visits Pakistan 26, 27, 33–9
passim
; in India 39, 40–41; gives statement on Afghanistan 41–2; and War Cabinet meetings 42–3, 61, 62, 68; on Al Jazeera 43, 44; states aims in Afghanistan 43; and Anji Hunter’s departure 46, 83, 86; in Oman 44, 46–9; in Cairo 49–50; worried about lack of strategy 51, 52, 53, 54; worried about Israel 60; at bonding session 62; and AC’s US trip 62, 64; at PMQs (Oct. 2001–March 2002) 63, 88, 97, 102, 136, 147, 153, 164
n
, 167, 178; and progress in Afghanistan 69–71, 72, 73, 85, 88, 91, 103, 106; Welsh Assembly speech 73; Syrian ‘humiliation’ 74–5; in Amman 75–6, Israel 76–7, and Palestine 77; his dinner a diplomatic fiasco 77–9; CBI speech 79; worried by GB 79–80; and Aznar (
q.v.
) 83; and domestic issues 86, 114, 146; and press reports on relations with GB 90–92, 97; and Milburn/GB row 97,
see
Milburn, Alan; puts Piers Morgan (
q.v.
) down 98; further clashes with GB 99, 100–1, 102; and Geoff Hoon’s gaffe 105; and Colin Powell’s visit 107; and terrorism bill 107; still has impact 107–8; at Brussels summit 108, 111–14; on GB 111–12; has difficult discussion with GB 115; and MMR vaccinations 120–22, 156, 158, 160; Egyptian holiday 122, 123, 200–1; in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan 126–9, 130–33; visits troops in Afghanistan 133–6; and death of GB’s baby 130, 132, 134, 135, 136, 138–9; attacked in the press 136, 139, 140, 141, 143, 152, 155, 159; to chair ministerial groups 137–8; and Murdoch and sons 142–3, 161–2; feels CSR and Budget are key to domestic situation 146; and IDS’s hospital ill-treatment case 147–50
passim
; and
Daily Star
editors 151; Cardiff conference speech 153, 155, 156–7, 158; and Karzai 154; surprised by GB article 159; ‘passionless’ at Lib Dem event 159; in Africa 160–62; and Princess Margaret’s death 162–3; and Mittal donation 163–4, 165, 166–7; in Italy 169; and Byers/Sixsmith affair 169–81
passim
; his unpopularity 171–2, 174; commissions paper on WMD 172; and GB’s fury over NHS day 175; Perth speech 175; disappointed with CHOGM 180, 182; his clothes 181
n
, 182, 196–7, 200, 275, 314; and Iraq 179, 181–2, 183–4; and Zimbabwe 180, 181, 182, 192; not getting on with AC 182, 184; ‘spooked’ by GB 183; and Cheney’s visit 186–7; insists his problems perception not real 187–8; LSE speech 188
and n
; alarmed at damage done by GB 188; on importance of policy delivery 191; and good crime meeting 192; clashes with GB over education 193; finds his behaviour weird 193; Manchester speeches on education 193–4
and n

March–September 2002

and Queen Mother’s death and lying-in-state 195–6, 201, 212
and n
, 217, 242, 250, 254; at meeting on Iraq 197–8; and the Americans 198, 199; Budget discussions with GB 200, 209, 210, 211, 213; with GWB at his ranch 201, 202–4; wants Policy Unit sorted 205; at Callaghan’s 90th 206, 207, 208; at Liz Lloyd’s wedding 208–9; at Sedgefield 208; on need for an ethics adviser 209, 210; PMQs (March–July) 211, 227, 231, 232, 246, 273, 279–80; unwell 209, 212; tries to be more spontaneous 213; and Black Rod/PCC affair 212
and n
, 213, 215, 228, 238–9, 240, 245, 246–7, 249, 253, 254; rows with GB 217–18, 221; and local elections 217, 222; at No. 10 dinner for the Queen 219; and footballers’ visit to No. 10 224, 225; German TV interview 225, 226;
Newsnight
interview 225, 227, 228; CBI speech 231; and Byers’ resignation 224, 228, 234, 235; worried about GB 232; worried about CB/Caplin press reports 232; plans reshuffle 234–6, 237–8, 240; at NATO summit 236; Guildhall Jubilee speech 241; energised by Third Way conference with BC 243; gives welfare speech in glasses 243, 244; disagreements with GB on CSR strategy 245; on not fighting next election (his ‘
grand projet
’) xx–xxi, 245, 254, 260–61, 269–70, 276, 280, 281; and JP’s ‘declaration of war’ 247–9; does televised press conferences 255–6, 280; at Seville summit 255, 256, 257; praised by Japanese prime minister 259; and GWB 257, 258–60; and CSR 263, 267–73
passim
; has bad polls 263, 264, 269, 273; uses private-school tutors for his children 264, 265; wants to focus on reform 266, 286; problems with GB 260, 262, 263–70
passim
, 277–8; makes clear Saddam has to be dealt with 272–3; and Liaison Committee 272, 273; and FMD inquiry 273, 275, 277; on failure to deal with bureaucracy 274; and CB’s miscarriage 276, 282; at Richard Wilson’s farewell dinner 278; chairs Iraq meeting 278–9;
and NI 279, 287; at the end of his tether re GB 280–81; worried about Iraq 282, 286; invited to 9/11 commemorations 283; profoundly affected by Milburn 284; critical of Policy Unit 286; wants more formal way of working 286; and IGC negotiations 287; hoping to direct US down UN route 285–6, 287, 288–9, 290, 291, 293, 294; in Mozambique 287–9; at Johannesburg summit 285, 287, 289–91; decides to publish dossier on Iraq WMD 291–2
and n
, 293; against recalling Parliament 293, 299, 300; meets with Blix (
q.v.
) 293–4; Camp David discussions with GWB 294–7; at Balmoral 297; TUC speech 297–8
and n
, 299; and Iraq dossier 299, 300–1, 302, 303, 306, 308
and n
, 309

September 2002–January 2003

and US/UNSCR difficulties 300–8
passim
; ‘poverty’ speech 303
and n
; and Estelle Morris/A-level row 303–4, 309–10, 318, 320; prays for Schroeder to win election 305; does well at NEC 308–9; and GB’s attack on foundation hospitals 310–11, 312; Conference and speech 300, 303, 305, 310, 311, 312, 313–14, 316, 319; further difficulties with Americans and UN route 316, 317–18, 319; endures
Mirror
lunch 317; and press reports of GB’s jealousy 320; on GB and euro 320–21; obsesses about GB 321, 322; and NI negotiations 323, 324, 325, 332
and n
; clashes with GB over foundation hospitals 323, 324–5; discussions with Putin 325–7; persuaded to swap coat for photocall 326; relations with GB worsening 329; PMQs (October–December 2002) 330, 336–7, 346, 354, 369, 381, 399; and UNSCR 331, 355; and military options 331; pressures GB to discuss euro 334, 344–5; does not want Chirac credited with ‘sorting’ GWB 334; plans reshuffle 335, 336, 337, 338–9; further rows with GB 339, 346, 348; clashes with Chirac at Brussels summit 339–41, 342, 344, 345, 346
n
; makes funny speech 343; disappointed with Schroeder 346, 355; and AC’s marathon sponsorship 349; and CB’s book project 350, 354; and Dobson’s attack on Andrew Adonis 351, 352; on relations with GB 352, 356–7, 362; and new ‘board meetings’ 353; on reform 357, 358, 389; Mansion House speech 359, 360; on GWB’s disinterest in different concerns 361; and FBU strike 336, 360, 362, 364, 365, 366, 367, 371, 372, 373–4, 375, 376
n
, 377, 379, 380; Queen’s Speech/debate 328, 333, 345, 348, 359, 361, 362, 363; sends radio message to Saddam 362–3, 364;
Mirror
interview 365; ITN interview 366; accepts that GB is a ‘malign force’ 367–8; and GB’s NHS strategy 368; and Chirac and GWB at Prague summit 369, 370; and CB and Caplin 375–400
passim
, 461, 466; on GB as cause of Labour’s problems 379, 380; discussions with Assad 396–7; almost caught out in House 399; not on sparkling form 400; schism with GB growing 401; New Year message 402, 404
and n
, 405; his problems the same as a year ago 405; decides to sack GB 406, 409, 411; and Roy Jenkins’ death 407

January–April 2003

on likelihood of war 408, 409, 411, 412; angered by Derry Irvine (
q.v.
) 409–10; and Israel and Palestinian conference 409, 414; and need for discipline in Cabinet 411, 412, 413, 414; clashes with GB over tuition fees 413, 418, 423, 424, 425; on GB’s game plan 415, 421, 423; on need for real changes 414–15; ‘holds firm’ on Iraq 415, 16; and imminent war 418–19, 420; and UN inspectors’ discoveries 421, 422; worried about US declaring war without UNSCR 423, 426, 427, 430–31, 432–3; Liaison Committee appearance 424, 425; at launch of AC’s marathon appeal 426; PMQs (January–April) 427, 436–7, 468, 493, 512, 531, 542; does deal with France over Zimbabwe sanctions 427, 428, 444; on lack of international support over Iraq 430; and press reports on situation with GB 432; their dysfunctional relationship 433–5, 436, 467; and Blix reports 435; on need for second UNSCR 437, 438, 439–41; Camp David talks with GWB 441–3, 450; on Saddam’s non-cooperation 445
and n
; and Chirac at Le Touquet summit 445–8; at ‘shock and awe’ presentation 449; sees weapons inspectors 450–51; angry at Irvine’s pay rise 452–3; and Franco-German plan 454, 455, 456; and Heathrow security 455; on need for more emphasis on humanitarian side in Iraq 458, 459, 461; worried about Iraq 459–60, 463; gives conference speech on Saddam 460
and n
; and Chirac at Brussels summit 461, 462, 463; has dreadful meetings with GB 462, 467; and ‘last push for peace’ 463, 464, 465, 466, 467; sees John Paul II 465; angry at the departments 465–6; his statement to the House 467
and n
; angry with Blix 468, 471, 472, 475; and possibility of no second resolution 469–70; at Madrid summit 470, 471–2; Welsh Labour Conference speech 470–71, 472; and UNSC votes and vetoes 472, 473, 474, 475, 478, 479, 480, 482, 488, 493, 495; in NI 474; and need for Mexico and Chile to come over 475–6, 483, 484, 486, 487, 493, 496, 500; conversations with GWB 475–6, 477–8, 483–4, 486–7, 490–91, 493–4, 496–7, 499, 500–1; MTV interview 477
and n
; and CS’s Rawnsley interview 481, 484–5, 488; and ITV programme 485–6; and Attorney General’s opinion on legality of war 488, 489, 495; feels close to contempt for GB 490; angry with
Rumsfeld 490, 494; and Murdoch 490, 492; and Saddam’s six tests 492
and n
; and Commons vote 497; and the French 497–8, 499; and Palestinians 499; at Azores meeting 502–5; Margolick interview 505
and n
, 563; and RC’s resignation 507; speech in the House 509
and n
, 510; praised by GWB 510–11; doesn’t rule out a deal with GB 513; and invasion of Iraq 513, 514; and Chirac at Brussels summit 514–16; and deaths 515; gives BFBS (forces) interview 517; and progress of war 518, 519, 520, 521–2, 523; writes note to GWB explaining US unpopularity 523–4, 528–9, 538; at Camp David with GWB 524, 525; sees Kofi Annan at UN 526; and propaganda effort 527; and need for communications and media plan 527–9