Alastair Campbell tells Miliband: You will ruin Britain*
* But only because he’s posing as David Cameron to coach Labour leader for TV Election debates
ED MILIBAND has risked dragging Labour’s record on the Iraq War into the Election by using Alastair Campbell to play the role of David Cameron to help him prepare for TV debates.
Tony Blair’s former Downing Street spin doctor has been asked to ‘sharpen up’ Miliband’s performance in preparation for a TV showdown.
Campbell has been asked to impersonate Cameron and show Miliband how to expose the Prime Minister’s weaknesses.
‘No one gets under Cameron’s skin more than Alastair,’ said a Labour insider. ‘He has been goading toffs all his life.’
But some Labour MPs are worried the move could backfire.
Campbell was forced to quit No10 in disgrace in 2003 over the Iraq War dodgy dossiers and the events that led to the death of Ministry of Defence (MoD) weapons expert Dr David Kelly.
‘Campbell represents everything that people hate about politics – spin, dark arts, class war and macho aggression,’ said one Labour MP. ‘And it will allow our enemies to rake up the Iraq War and Campbell’s part in it.’
Miliband has distanced himself from the Iraq War but Labour chiefs fear that if the long-awaited Chilcot report into the conflict is published before the Election, it could still damage Labour.
Campbell was accused of ‘sexing up’ intelligence reports suggesting Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. And when MoD expert Dr Kelly was named as the source of claims of exaggeration, Campbell was accused of being involved in moves to leak his name.
Kelly died shortly afterwards, reportedly as a result of suicide. Miliband is pinning his hopes on the TV Election debates to reduce Cameron’s significant lead over him in their personal ratings.
Hopes of a re-run of the TV debates that electrified the 2010 Election took a knock last week when Cameron refused to take part, claiming it was unfair to exclude the Green Party.
It came after broadcast regulators Ofcom said Ukip’s Nigel Farage should be included in the debates, but not the Greens.
Miliband, Nick Clegg and Farage joined forces to accuse the Prime Minister of being a ‘chicken’.
Tory insiders privately admit they are wary of the TV debates.
‘We have little to gain because Cameron is generally seen as being a good leader and Miliband a twit,’ said one. ‘One slip in a TV debate could change that. There is no point in risking it.’
But Labour sources say they are determined to ‘shame’ Cameron into backing down.
Campbell, who went to grammar school and Cambridge University and worked for the Daily Mirror before becoming a Labour spin doctor, has never concealed his loathing of privately educated Cameron and George Osborne.
His allies say he relishes the role of playing Cameron. ‘Alastair is the best propagandist our Party has had,’ said one. ‘He is not a particular fan of Ed but it doesn’t matter. He had arguments with Gordon Brown but helped him in 2010. He is a tribal Labour supporter who hates Tories. And best of all, he frightens them.’
Asked if Campbell was playing the role of Cameron for Miliband, a spokesman for the Labour leader said: ‘We have no comment.’
Miliband and his team had an ‘TV debate rehearsal away day’ before Christmas. It is not known if Campbell took part.
‘He is not a fan of Ed but he hates the Tories’