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CNN Live Today
Top Blair Aide Alastair Campbell Stepping Down
Aired August 29, 2003 - 10:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In London and throughout the U.K., they will no doubt be talking about the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair's communications director, Alastair Campbell. Let's get the latest on this and find out why he decided to step down.
CNN's Finnoula Sweeney checks in from London.
Finnoula, what you learned about this?
FINNOULA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, it's only within the last 40 minutes that Alastair Campbell has announced his intention to resign. He said he'd do so in a matter of weeks. In a statement, he said that he'd been privileged to serve with the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair. He now looked forward to writing and broadcasting and making speeches, he said, and not taking on any new big job, as he put it. He doesn't intend to resign immediately, but it will become effective within the next few weeks.
And the prime minister's office just behind us issued a statement within the last 10, 15 minutes or so, saying it regretted the resignation of Alastair Campbell, that he'd served the government well -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, I know Alastair Campbell also said earlier he planned on stepping down sometime this summer. But Finnoula, it's hard to believe that this has nothing to do at all with what they've -- what he's been enduring and what Prime Minister Tony Blair has been enduring with the hearings.
SWEENEY: Indeed, there are those that are already saying that Alastair Campbell has decided to step down to save the government, as it were, to take some of the heat away from the spotlight that's been placed on the prime minister, Tony Blair, in relation to the inquiries surrounding the death of the top weapons expert, Dr. David Kelly, in July.
There is, of course, going to be much speculation that the two events are connected. There hasn't been any official acknowledgment of that in the statement.
But as you say, it had been widely predicted. That inquiry, of course, is still under way. And Justice Hutton is still inquiring as to the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, and we'll have to await those findings within a matter of weeks before we can decide whether or not blame or responsibility is to be apportioned to whichever party.
But there is no doubt in many minds that it is connected.
I should add in that statement, Mr. Campbell said he wished to spend more time with his family. His partner, Fiona Miller, also works at Downing Street, and she has made it long known that she intends to also step aside within a matter of weeks. So both people saying it is officially, at least, for personal reasons -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, so just give me a sense of what the conventional wisdom is right now. Is this the only name we'll hear about stepping down in the days to come? Or will there be more?
SWEENEY: That's a very good question. And I should say that as long as the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly in July continues, and that is already in its third week, we expect some of the witnesses who have already appeared before the committee, such as Alastair Campbell, Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon, to be called again as the inquiry deepens its investigation.
So until that inquiry comes out, the results of that are known, the findings of Mr. Hutton are known, it's unlikely that there will be any resignations before then. But I have to say, there's been a lot of speculation that at least one other cabinet minister will go before this inquiry is out.
HARRIS: All right, we'll have to see when the next shoe drops. Finnoula Sweeney reporting live for us from 10 Downing Street in London. We appreciate that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 29, 2003 - 10:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In London and throughout the U.K., they will no doubt be talking about the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair's communications director, Alastair Campbell. Let's get the latest on this and find out why he decided to step down.
CNN's Finnoula Sweeney checks in from London.
Finnoula, what you learned about this?
FINNOULA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, it's only within the last 40 minutes that Alastair Campbell has announced his intention to resign. He said he'd do so in a matter of weeks. In a statement, he said that he'd been privileged to serve with the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair. He now looked forward to writing and broadcasting and making speeches, he said, and not taking on any new big job, as he put it. He doesn't intend to resign immediately, but it will become effective within the next few weeks.
And the prime minister's office just behind us issued a statement within the last 10, 15 minutes or so, saying it regretted the resignation of Alastair Campbell, that he'd served the government well -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, I know Alastair Campbell also said earlier he planned on stepping down sometime this summer. But Finnoula, it's hard to believe that this has nothing to do at all with what they've -- what he's been enduring and what Prime Minister Tony Blair has been enduring with the hearings.
SWEENEY: Indeed, there are those that are already saying that Alastair Campbell has decided to step down to save the government, as it were, to take some of the heat away from the spotlight that's been placed on the prime minister, Tony Blair, in relation to the inquiries surrounding the death of the top weapons expert, Dr. David Kelly, in July.
There is, of course, going to be much speculation that the two events are connected. There hasn't been any official acknowledgment of that in the statement.
But as you say, it had been widely predicted. That inquiry, of course, is still under way. And Justice Hutton is still inquiring as to the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, and we'll have to await those findings within a matter of weeks before we can decide whether or not blame or responsibility is to be apportioned to whichever party.
But there is no doubt in many minds that it is connected.
I should add in that statement, Mr. Campbell said he wished to spend more time with his family. His partner, Fiona Miller, also works at Downing Street, and she has made it long known that she intends to also step aside within a matter of weeks. So both people saying it is officially, at least, for personal reasons -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, so just give me a sense of what the conventional wisdom is right now. Is this the only name we'll hear about stepping down in the days to come? Or will there be more?
SWEENEY: That's a very good question. And I should say that as long as the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly in July continues, and that is already in its third week, we expect some of the witnesses who have already appeared before the committee, such as Alastair Campbell, Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon, to be called again as the inquiry deepens its investigation.
So until that inquiry comes out, the results of that are known, the findings of Mr. Hutton are known, it's unlikely that there will be any resignations before then. But I have to say, there's been a lot of speculation that at least one other cabinet minister will go before this inquiry is out.
HARRIS: All right, we'll have to see when the next shoe drops. Finnoula Sweeney reporting live for us from 10 Downing Street in London. We appreciate that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
