Once described as “the dark soul of Tony Blair” and “the real deputy Prime minister” -as his influence on the government was deemed to be so powerful- Alastair Campbell (52) appears nowadays in much more relaxed form than during his Downing Street years. The former Spin Doctor in chief has now has turned to fundraising for research into leukaemia, as well as writing, with a second novel, Maya, recently published.
My main character trait: determination
The trait I most deplore in myself: impatience
The trait I am most proud of: loyalty
If I could change something in my physic: my lungs because I have asthma
The quality I appreciate most in a man: a sense of humour
The quality I appreciate most in a woman: intuition
What I most value in my friends: honesty and loyalty
Faults in others or myself that I am most likely to forgive: temper
My favourite hobbies: watching football and cycling
My idea of happiness: a day which would include a family event, a football win and an electoral disaster for the Tories
My most beautiful memory: the birth of my three children and the year Burnley did beat Chelsea and Arsenal
My dream when I was a kid: being a footballer
If I was an animal, I would be: a horse
My favourite books: Madame Bovary (Flaubert) and Teams of Rivals (Doris Kearns Goodwin)
My favourite artist: Shakespeare
My favourite actors: Sean Penn and Julie Walters
My favourite films: Lady Sings the Blues and The Lives of Others
My favourite songs: Ne me quitte pas and Quand on n’a que l’amour, by Jacques Brel
Who or what I love most in the world: my children
My favourite heroes in fiction: Atticus Finch and Emma Bovary
People I most admire in real life: people who achieve for others
My favourite names: those of my children, Rory, Calum and Grace
My most treasured possessions: my bikes and bagpipes
My favourite places: Puyméras in Provence and Conaglen in Scotland
What I hate the most: cynics and whingers
What makes me really angry: racism
My biggest success so far: helping Tony Blair win three elections
My definition of love: to those who give, it never stops giving
My definition of beauty: a woman with eyes that speak
How I would like to die: quickly, quietly and at the time of my choosing
How I would like to be remembered: as someone who made a difference and as a good father
My current state of mind: good
My motto: “Get a grip!”
Maya by Alastair Campbell (Hutchinson, £18.99)
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