Summary
Overview
In this special episode of The Rest is Politics, Rory Stewart interviews Alastair Campbell about his new book on 'perseverance' - a word he invented to describe the ability to turn any setback into a positive opportunity for growth. The conversation explores Campbell's mental health breakdown at age 29, his experiences in Downing Street, his relationship with Fiona, and how he's learned to be more reflective and positive over time. They discuss the nature of achievement, relevance, parenting challenges including his son Callum's battle with alcoholism, and what it means to persevere through life's difficulties.
Introducing Perseverance: A New Word for Difficult Times
Campbell explains why he invented the word 'perseverance' - combining perseverance, resilience, persistence and patience into something more positive. He distinguishes it from simple resilience, which he sees as just 'banging your head against a brick wall.' For Campbell, perseverance means genuinely trying to turn every problem into an opportunity to move forward, whether as an individual, organization, or country. He acknowledges that even figures like Trump and Farage display some perseverant qualities, though they lack the essential component of values and integrity.
- Perseverance defined as 'the ability to turn any situation, setback or meaningful experience into a positive opportunity to grow and advance core interests and beliefs'
- The word combines perseverance, resilience, persistence and patience, but is more positive than any of them individually
- Resilience alone feels like 'banging your head against a brick wall' - Keir Starmer's resilience versus Tony Blair's ten years
- Trump and Farage have perseverant qualities - relentlessness and refusing to accept defeat - but lack essential values and integrity
- Putin sees himself as 'Vladimir the Great' and shows perseverant qualities in turning setbacks to advantage
" I think the world does need that sort of word, because it's about trying to turn, I guess, everything negative into something a bit more positive in our own lives and in the world. "
" I think resilience to me is about banging your head against a brick wall... It is a great strength, but not on its own. It has to have all the positive things that take you through. "
" just the very fact of losing an election which virtually everybody in the world knows he lost and accepts he lost, but it is quite perseverant to say, I'm just never going to admit that I've lost. I'm going to pretend I've won and eventually I'm going to persuade enough people to re-elect me. It's incredible. "
The 1986 Breakdown: Psychotic Episode at Age 29
Campbell opens up about his devastating mental breakdown at age 29, when he was a rising journalist about to cover a Labour Party conference with Neil Kinnock. After heavy drinking and relationship troubles with Fiona, he experienced a psychotic episode involving auditory and visual hallucinations. He describes driving in circles on a roundabout, believing everything was communicating messages to him, and eventually being arrested by police. The experience left him suicidal and convinced his career was over, but his editor Richard Stott's decision to take him back proved transformative.
- Campbell's breakdown occurred in Scotland in 1986 when covering Neil Kinnock for a new newspaper, following heavy drinking and a split from Fiona
- He experienced a psychotic episode where he believed objects were speaking to him, creating anagrams in his mind and hearing voices including Elvis Presley
- Campbell was arrested by special branch after emptying his pockets and starting to undress in public on the day of Olof Palme's assassination
- The moment of relief came when police asked if he was okay and he finally said 'no' after weeks of denial
- Richard Stott's decision to rehire Campbell at the Daily Mirror was described as 'one of the best decisions I ever made' - being honest about what happened
" It feels like anything you look at you think is speaking to you. So there's a camera, it says Sonny. Why is it spelt wrong? S-O-N-Y. S-O-N. Son, you're a son. Is this to do with your parents? Why? You then look over there and you see Charles Dickens. Did you not read Charles Dickens enough at school? Is that why you're being punished? "
" I stop this guy, he's wearing a kilt, he's carrying his bagpipes. I say, is this because of Donald? I said to him... but of course he didn't know who Donald was. My brother was a piper. "
" I thought I was going to be killed. I thought I was being tested. I was failing the test and the punishment of death. "
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