The Burden of Power: Countdown to Iraq - The Alastair Campbell Diaries (131 page)

April–August 2003

discussions with GB on euro 532, 533, 551–2, 553, 566, 567, 569, 572, 573, 596, 597; on need for counter-plan on future of Iraq 532; visits troops 532, 533; his letter to Iraqis 532, 534; keen for US to rebuild relationships 536; in NI for GWB’s visit 536–40; speaks to FM 542–3; a key player in Iraq aftermath 543; and IRA 543; sponsors AC 544; at a loss re GB 544, 549; at Sandhurst 545; in
The Simpsons
545; sees troops in Scotland 549; with Schroeder 550, and Prodi 550; and reshuffle 552; rift with GB over foundation hospitals 553, 560, 561; a ‘diplo-disastrous’ discussion with Putin 555–9; PMQs (April–July) 560, 566, 610–11, 635, 646; and NI 560; meets Rumsfeld 562; and need for radical domestic policies 563–5, 568; still making mind up re GB 565; and foundation hospital vote 567; and press reports about CB 569, 582–3; and CS’s resignation 570; and euro statement 575, 576, 577; open at party meeting about division with GB 577; angry with Peter M over comments re him and GB 578–80; press gallery speech 580, 581
and n
; confident at press conference 582; wants to meet IRA 584; in Kuwait 585; visits Iraq 585, 586–7; hopes for more co-operation from GB 587–8; Polish speech 584, 587, 589, 590; in St Petersburg 590–91, 592; and WMD dossier allegations 589–90, 594, 595; thinking of standing down 597; wants to be fully briefed on Iraq 597–8; arranges ISC inquiry into ‘forty-five minutes’ claim 598
and n
, 602, 612; and GB statement on euro 601, 602, 603; dinner with Chirac 604; dreads sacking Irvine 601, 604, 605, 619; and reshuffle 604, 605–6, 608–9, 611; and Hunting Bill 609–10; Fabian Society speech 609, 610; and Hain’s comments on tax 613; frustrated at lack of radicalism re public services 615; and AC’s FAC appearance 617, 618, 619, 623, and on
Channel 4 News
621; wants closure on FAC and to get back to domestic agenda 623, 624, 625, 629, 630
and n
; on need for reform 627, 629, 636; and the ‘source’ 631, 632, 634; and the BBC 631, 632, 633, 635; and Liaison Committee 602, 614, 634; and strategy meetings 634, 635; clashes with GB over lack of strategy 634–5; at Political cabinet 636, 637, 638–9; Third Way conference speech 643; speaks at Michael Foot’s 90th 644; at ISC inquiry 644, 645, 646; ‘down’ 645–6; Congress speech 647; with GWB at White House 647–8; and Dr Kelly’s death 649, 650; in Tokyo and Shanghai 651, 652, 655; and leaking of Kelly’s name 655, 656; on WMD/trust issue 662; and Caplin’s
Hello!
magazine spread 663–4, 666; is talked about in past tense 664; and relations with GWB 665; worried about AC having to submit his diaries to Hutton Inquiry 675, 676–7, 679, 686; works on witness statement 680–81; and AC’s appearance at Inquiry 681–2, 686, 688, 689; takes the stand 690–91; deferential to AC’s barrister 691; and AC’s departure 688, 693, 694

Blank, Sir Victor 317, 394, 463

Bleach, Peter 592
and n

Blears, Hazel 147–8, 606, 651

Blitz, James 318

Blix, Hans: and TB 293–4, 300, 317, 411; conciliatory at UN 304; making progress 316; goes back to Baghdad 366; disliked by GWB 370; felt by US to be a problem 392, 396; and FCO briefings 399; goes to UNSC 400–1; and Iraqi weapons inventory 401; to do ‘minor’ UN reporting 412; ‘cat and moused’ 413; finds shells and nuclear papers 419, 420, 421
and n
, 422
and n
; given more time 430, 431; and Saddam’s non-cooperation 433, 435, 439, 440, 441, 444; report covers banned missiles 438; TB feels he is the key 439, 440, 448; cagey at Cabinet 450; has found nothing 450; in Baghdad 453; given more time 456; delivers report to UNSC 459, 461, 463; on Saddam’s decommissioning of al-Samoud missiles 471; angers TB 468, 471, 472, 474, 479; his clusters document 475, 476, 477, 484; and GWB 483, 640; and TV address 494; criticises British intelligence 598

Blunkett, David (DB): post 9/11 4, 9, 10; and asylum seekers 17, 215, 322, 423; has hopes of being deputy leader 17–18, 19; rants at Civil Service 28; and civil contingencies 29, 31; angry with BBC 31; and the police 45, 174, 183; worried at lack of strategy 57–8; blamed by Balls for TB/GB split 100; writes to IDS on Tory policy 103, 104; worried about race ‘debate’ 105, 106; on loss of confidence in politics 109; on Tories and IDS 137; as next Chancellor 139; on Civil Service
139, 185; on TB 139–40, and JS 140; on prison pay 141; and ASBOs and street crime 152, 189, 190, 192, 328, 636; and Dacre 155; and the unions 157; immigration White Paper 161; on Rumsfeld 179; defends special advisers 179, 185; on Iraq 183; on GB 190, 304;
Frost
interview 190, 191; beleaguered 191–2; and Budget 211; and Byers xix, 255; attacks press xix, 255; clashes with FM 256–7; declassifies cannabis 268; and criminal justice White Paper 270, 271; at Kemp/Wade marriage party 274; paranoid re press 304; does ministerial briefings 320, 328–9; clashes with Irvine 322; approves of CC as Education minister 338–9; and Sarkozy 355, 380; statement on al-Qaeda released in error 356
and n
, 359, 365; and Wood Green arrests 410; and student finance 412, 421; and Lords reform 413; gives dinner party 424; ‘ground down’ 424; on Civil Service 424; has too much on his plate 432; condemns Kavanagh article as racist 433; worries TB 437; and Olympics bid 438–9, 574; feels weakened by TB 454; and security issues 454, 455, 457, 458; and CS’s interview 483; warns TB of Denham’s resignation 508–9; worried about Basra 518–19; denies panic 519; at War Cabinets 520–21; and rise on wine 541; on FM 543; on TB/GB relations 543; and local elections 567; recommends Hansard 581; and the euro 597; worried about new Ministry of Justice 598; and dossier 600–1; and reshuffles 606; tells AC not to quit 622, 661; supports AC 650

BNP
see
British National Party

Boateng, Paul 236, 238, 248, 307, 542

Bolland, Mark 52, 274

Bono 114

Booth, Gail 202

Boothroyd, Betty 206, 267, 299, 514

Borritt, Dave 683

Bostock, Dr Tom 646

Boucher, Richard 80, 81, 377, 421, 427

Boulton, Adam 107, 197, 236, 237, 271, 273–4, 308, 332, 570, 648, 651, 652, 693

Bourgass, Kamel 407
n
, 417
n

Bouteflika, Abdelaziz, President of Algeria 291

Bowen, Des 293

Bower, Tom 663

Boyce, Admiral Sir Michael (CDS) 10; and US plans to attack Afghanistan 12–13, 18, 27, 30; a possible depressive 16; preparing for long-term operation 19; on the Taliban 30; goes over attacks and targets 42; at War Cabinet meetings 45, 53; feels a lack of strategy 54; reports from US 56, 57, 58; problematic for TB 52, 58, 61, 62, 67, 69, 111, 113, 114; and liberation of Kabul 88; ‘tired and grey’ 93; and the press 97; worried about situation in Afghanistan 103; fails to clear RUSI speech with TB 106–7; chairs conference on Afghanistan 111; on India and Pakistan 137; Inge on 159; on Kabul and Turkey 199; and Iraq 197, 198, 278, 279, 331, 348, 392, 418, 437, 438; against involvement of army in fire dispute 368–9; French tribute to 447; at presentation of ‘shock and awe’ 449; at meeting on humanitarian planning 458; gives advice on Iraq 489; gives updates on invasion 517, 518, 519, 520, 522, 526, 528, 530, 532, 544; and CS 529, 548; mentioned 35, 41

BP (British Petroleum) 82

Bradshaw, Ben 145, 621, 622, 624, 628, 629, 630, 636

Bradshaw, David 100, 102, 565–6, 580, 624, 653, 662–3

Bragg, Melvyn 289

Brahimi, Lakhdar 58, 91, 95

Braithwaite, Julian 30, 51, 61, 84, 152

Breakfast with Frost
interviews: TB 32, 139, 213
n
; DB 190, 191, 431, 432, 433, 437; GB 100, 101, 453, 454, 502, 576–7, 599–600; CC 423; Hillary Clinton 630; RC 14–15; Charlie Falconer 608; Patricia Hewitt 266; David Hill 423; Geoff Hoon 105; JP 53, 262, 366, 479, 480; IDS 415; JS 71; Lord John Wakeham 86

Bremer, Paul 569, 571, 574, 586, 588, 648

Bremner, Rory 164, 453, 465

Brenton, Tony 63

Britain in Europe (pressure group) 310

British Journalism Review
666

British Medical Association (BMA) 148

British National Party (BNP) 214, 215, 217, 222, 431
and n
, 562, 567

British Olympic Association 417

Brittan, Leon 166

Brown, Colin 577

Brown, Gordon: relationship with TB xx–xxi, 27–8,
see under
Blair, Tony; ‘monosyllabic’ 6, 7–8, 27; at 9/11 service 11; and Naughtie’s
The Rivals
14; and economic situation 17, 31, 44; and leadership issue 27, 80, 98, 100, 190, 194, 219, 245, 246, 248–9, 252, 253, 269, 272, 274–5, 276, 422; at Brighton conference (2001) 33, 34, 36, 44; and PBR 44, 92, 94, 95–6, 98, 98, 99; and euro/EMU 46, 79–80, 111, 126, 128, 165, 175, 189, 229, 246, 254, 258, 260, 281, 312, 320–21, 328, 329, 334, 342, 344–5, 354, 367, 379, 436, 448, 467, 515, 529, 531–4, 544, 551–2, 553, 566, 567, 569, 572–9
passim
, 597, 601, 602, 603; meets church leaders 88; does
Times
interview on the Cabinet 93; ‘diddling’ 97; clashes with Milburn over NHS 98, 99, 100, 101, 102; and AC 108, 120, 153–4, 158, 209, 221, 224, 239, 253, 275, 355, 356, 380, 416, 449, 498–9; behaviour at Cabinets 109, 110, 154, 161, 189, 193, 216, 232; influenced by Balls 112, 115, 239, 320; rift with Peter M 117–18; and daughter’s birth and death 123, 125, 126, 130, 132, 138; asks TB to her funeral 136,
138–9; paranoid about Milburn, CC and Hain 152–3; article on Commonwealth Education fails to mention TB 159; angry with TB over ‘NHS day’ 175; and new
Times
editor 180; respected by permanent secretaries 181; ‘looms large’ 182, 184; looks odd 184; and Budget 186,
see
Budgets; NHS speech eclipsed by crime meeting 191, 192, 268; pro graduate tax 193; appearance 197, 200; makes public Liam Fox’s unwise comments 206, 208; and NHS campaign 207, 208, 210, 211; and child benefits 217, 218, 230, 231; ‘boorish’ 224; on crime 220, 230, 231, 245; his team 235; opposed to reshuffle 237
,
238; impossible at strategy meetings 245, 247, 248, 249; constantly plotting against TB 245–6; against CC’s attack on press 246; Mansion House speech 258; goes back on commitment to Africa 258; and unions 262, 277; CSR and his counter-strategy 263, 264, 266–7, 278, 270; his public image 263–4; gives CSR statement 271–2, 273, 274; at Kemp/Wade marriage party 274; and Iraq war 289–90, 301, 306, 360, 367; against foundation hospitals 310–11, 312, 313, 318, 319, 322, 323, 324–5, 348, 553, 560, 561; Conference speech (2002) 312, 313; on pay awards 331; not consulted over reshuffle 338, 339; and EU rebate 339; unamused by TB’s speech 343; becoming impossible 346; and antisocial behaviour agenda 348, 358; his left-wing strategy 352; against reform 357, 358, 366, 368; and university funding 366, 367, 368, 381, 398, 413, 418, 420–25
passim
; and FBU strike 371, 373; gets bad press 375, 379, 380; has ‘non-arguments’ 399; openly ‘organises’ against TB 411; and tax credits 73, 417, 418; ahead of TB in polls 419; and Olympic bid 423, 572, 574–5; incapable of laughter 429; on tax rises 429; ‘encouraged’ by AC/Balls meeting 436; on unions 438; gives divisive speech 444; nervous of being moved 448; and Irvine’s pay rise 453; on
Frost
453, 454; considers TB’s article Tory 467; and PLP 490; and Iraq 492, 495, 501, 502, 506, 509, 510, 514; more engaged on policies 497, 500; and CS 510, 512, 549, 570–71; critical of War Cabinet meetings 520; vile to Tessa Jowell 423; and Peter M 532, 578–80; and TSC report 554–5; on
Frost
on EMU referendum 576–7; CBI speech 578; presents paper on benefits 581;
Wall Street Journal
article 584; and press leak on briefing note 598–9; good on
Frost
re WMD dossier 599–600; and Peter M’s apology at PLP 604; and reshuffle 604, 606, 609; rages at the Lords 612; on lack of strategy 627, 634–5; at political Cabinet 636, 638, 639; wants to visit Murdoch 644; amused by AC’s bagpipe playing 645; resigns as prime minister xxii

Brown, Jennifer Jane 123, 130, 132, 134, 135; funeral 136, 138–9, 175

Brown, Nick 218, 234, 235, 236, 268, 275, 277, 605, 606

Brown, Paul 98

Brown, Sarah 123, 161, 274, 433, 560;
Magic: New Stories
249

Browne, Des 606

Browne, John 426

Brussels summits: 2001 25–6; 2002 254–5, 339–41; 2003 461–2;
see also
Laeken

Buck, John 586

Buckby, Simon 572

Buckeridge, Anthony 329

Buckland, Chris 272

Budgets: and PBR (2001) 44, 92, 94, 95–6, 97, 98; 2002 186, 188, 200, 205, 207–8, 209–10, 211, 212, 213, 214, 230; 2003 429, 529, 532, 541–2, 543

Burgess, Charlie 328

Burnley 194; elections 215, 217, 222, 562

Burnley Football Club 18, 48; vs Norwich 26, 180; vs Crystal Palace 63, 99–100; vs Wolverhampton 72; vs Watford 88, 160, 480; vs Coventry 91; vs Millwall 121, 122; vs Barnsley 163; vs Preston 190; vs Coventry 214; vs Stoke 301; vs Leicester 333; vs Tottenham Hotspur 355; vs Man United 359, 380–81; vs Gillingham 401; vs Brighton 402, 403; vs Grimsby 406; vs Brentford 432; vs Fulham 468; vs Wimbledon 564

Burrell, Paul: trial 349, 350, 359–60, 361, 362, 401

Burton, John 174, 647

Bush, Barbara 297

Bush, George, Sr 23, 204, 205, 295, 297

Bush, George W., US President (GWB)xv–xvi, 259–60; relations with TB xiv, xv, xx, 19, 640; post 9/11 7, 8–9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19; and British press 18; with TB in Washington 23–5; gives powerful speech 26; on security 30; lacks strategy 31; and Putin 37; ready for war 41; statement on Afghanistan 41, 42; and OBL 48
and n
, 50; sends out mixed messages 50, 51; discussions with TB 56–7, 82, 87, 88; and British opinion 64, 291, 425; and bad PR 64, 65; grateful to AC for going to US 72, 74; visits Washington CIC 79; ‘axis of evil’ speech 152, 154, 155, 158, 203; and MEPP 199–200, 201, 202, 204, 295–6; with TB at ranch 202–4, 205; chats with AC on dog, drink and running 202, 203; on Arafat 202, 204, 205, 257, 258, 259; likes Schroeder and Putin 205; Middle East speech makes waves 257; at G8 summit 258–60; on Africa 259; appreciative of TB’s support 272; and Iraq 285–6; White House speech 292; and TB’s US visit 283, 288, 294, 295–7; UNGA speech 286, 291, 300, 301; and UN route re Iraq 302, 317–18, 320, 334, 337; lays out case for disarming Iraq 323
and n
; wins election 355; uninterested in different concerns
361; intends to visit Africa 369; at Prague summit 370; on attacking Iraq 370, 397; loses patience with UN 426, 427; ready for war 430, 431, 432–3; and need for second UNSCR 437, 438, 439, 440, 441, 442; gives joint press conference with TB 441–2; on Hillary Clinton for president 443; on his favourite leaders 443; solicitous re TB’s political position 456; and Blix 459; agrees strategy with TB 463; rages at churchmen 463; and Aznar 464, 465; MEPP speech 468; TB on 469–70, 473–4; as the main communication problem 474; restrained by TB 475–6, 477–9, 482; and negotiations with Fox and Lagos 483–4, 487, 491, 493, 500, 501; has ‘bad conversation’ with Turks 487; and Rumsfeld 490–91; wants to attack pre-UN vote 493–4; and MEPP road map 494, 496, 498, 525; and run-up to war 497–501
passim
, 503–5, 506, 508, 510–11; announces beginning of action 513; and progress of war 514, 516, 517, 521–2; worries TB re strategy 518, 523; and Putin 514, 522; and UN role 523, 524, 536; and TB’s note on American unpopularity 523–4, 528–9, 538; at Camp David with TB 524–6; in NI 523, 537–40; donates to AC’s marathon appeal 538; gives a joint broadcast with TB 536, 538, 539–40; congratulates AC on marathon 548; delivers victory speech on aircraft carrier 563; lack of postwar focus worries TB 588, 594; and Chirac 589; congratulates TB re MEPP summit 598; congratulates AC 647–8; on Guantanamo Bay detainees 648