Smart money on Ali to stay with Blair

IN the early days after Tony Blair was swept into Downing Street, a Fleet Street photographer was dispatched to get a picture of the new prime minister and his wife “at home”.

The snapper had just finished lining up the couple for a particularly cheesy, nose-to-nose shot when Alastair Campbell burst through the door and demanded: "What the hell do you think you are doing?" The photographer snapped to attention, expecting a rollicking from Ali, only to realise the remark was not aimed at him, but at the prime minister.

On a separate occasion shortly after that 1997 victory, Alastair was asked during an off-the-record press briefing if he could really do such and such a thing to a civil servant the details don't matter. He turned to one of his assistants and, with a knowing grin, declared: "We can do what we like now, can't we."