Alastair Campbell: Australia must re-win democracy case

Alastair Campbell, a former spokesperson for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has warned that attacks on politicians have failed to bring lasting change to political debate. He says politicians often promise to reduce hate and division after such events, but soon return to angry language.

Campbell believes politicians in the UK and Australia need to find a better way to speak to each other and the public. He says they must work harder to rebuild trust in democracy.

His comments came more than a week after independent Australian MP Helen Haines was allegedly attacked outside her electorate office in northern Victoria. Haines lost both legs in the incident. A 43-year-old man has been charged, and police are continuing their investigation.

Speaking to The Guardian’s Australian Politics podcast on Wednesday, Campbell said Australia’s political debate should follow Haines’ example of how to treat others.

He also pointed to the killings of British MPs Jo Cox and David Amess, as well as former politician Ann Widdecombe, when discussing the failure to create lasting change in political culture.

Campbell said that after these events, politicians spoke about the need to reduce online hate, extreme language and political division. However, he believes the promises did not last long, and political debate soon returned to its old ways.

He said society needs to make a genuine effort to change how people speak to and about one another.

Campbell, who co-hosts the popular podcast *The Rest Is Politics*, believes Haines’ return to parliament could help keep the issue in the public eye.

He said serious incidents often disappear from the news quickly, allowing people to move on without making lasting changes. Because Haines survived and may return to political life, he hopes people will continue to remember what happened and understand the consequences of political violence.

Campbell is a former journalist and the author of more than 20 books, including diaries about his time working at 10 Downing Street. He is due to visit Australia for a speaking tour next month.

He also urged politicians and journalists to think carefully about the way they communicate with ordinary people. Both professions face low levels of public trust, he said, making it important to understand why people have lost confidence in them.

Campbell said the influence of US President Donald Trump has made this challenge harder. He believes Trump’s style of politics represents many of the things that can damage healthy political debate.

He warned that democracy is facing serious pressure and said politicians need to make a stronger case for why democratic politics matters.

Cost of living and public anger

Campbell also discussed the rise of populist politics around the world. He linked growing public anger to the effects of the 2008 global financial crisis.

He said many people still feel that banks received support after the crisis while ordinary citizens faced spending cuts and financial pressure.

In his view, many people have struggled to improve their living standards since then. The rising cost of everyday life has added to their frustration and helped fuel political movements in the United States, Britain and parts of Europe.

Campbell said people want to feel that they can improve their lives, but many believe that progress has become too difficult.

He also revealed that he sometimes watches old clips of Paul Keating, Australia’s prime minister during the 1990s, delivering sharp attacks in parliament.

Campbell’s latest book is *Persevilience: The Word the World Needs Now*, published by Allen & Unwin.

His main message is that promises to change political culture are not enough on their own. Politicians and the media must continue working to reduce hostility, understand public frustration and rebuild confidence in democracy.