Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007 and leader of Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East at the time of giving evidence. He testified about the relationship between politicians and the media as well as giving accounts of the history between his cabinet and the press. He defended his relationship with Rupert Murdoch as a "working relationship", "about power" and not "personal", though it had by then emerged that he became godfather to Murdoch's daughter after he had left office. He stated: "I don't know a policy that we changed because of Rupert Murdoch."
Born 1957. Journalist and author and former press secretary to Tony Blair as Leader of the Opposition (1994-97) and as Prime minister (1997-2000). From 2000-2003, he was director of communications for the Labour Party (2000-03). Before 1994, he had been political editor of Today newspaper and the Daily Mirror. Campbell gave detailed testimony on the political media and what he saw as the decline of genuine investigative journalism and the increasing tendency of owners, editors and senior journalists to wish to be political players. Embellishment and pure invention were tolerated and encouraged by some editors and owners, he said.
Centre-left political party in the UK, including social-democratic, democratic-socialist and trade-unionist outlooks. Harriet Harman QC MP presented the party's written evidence for the future of the press, presenting comprehensive options. She identified two deep-rooted problems: lack of redress for complaints and concentration of ownership. Summarised three options and the party's views on their strengths and weaknesses: a contractual system under a new PCC, a voluntary system with incentives, and statutory arrangements (for which, she said, a YouGov poll found 62 per cent support).
