Governments go through difficult periods

On Sunday, 21 September 2003, Breakfast with Frost featured an interview with Alastair Campbell, Prime Minister's former communications chief & Tricia Stewart

Please note "BBC Breakfast with Frost" must be credited if any part of this transcript is used.

Governments go through difficult periods

DAVID FROST: Forty-seven thousand people are making their way to the starting line of the Great North Run in Newcastle. It's on today, the famous half marathon, as it were, attracts world class athletes like Paula Radcliffe, fit apparently to run today.

But most of those taking part are amateurs, raising money for charity. Among them Alastair Campbell, the Prime Minister's departing communications chief, and the original calendar girl, Tricia Stewart.

The story of how she and other members of the Women's Institute bared all in aid of leukaemia research has of course now been turned into a hit film starring Helen Mirren.

It's for Leukaemia Research that Tricia and Alastair are running today, and they join me now from Newcastle. Top of the morning to you both.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL: Hello.

TRICIA STEWART: Hello.

DAVID FROST: Hello, hello. Well we'll do ladies first and ask you first Tricia, how long have you been training for this race?

TRICIA STEWART: I started in February this year, and I started on a very - I'm not, I'm not a runner, I've always done sport but years ago, but I've never done runs like this, so I've been training since February, so fingers cross today.

DAVID FROST: And in fact were you excited by the reaction that your movie, as it were, got? Very good reviews, very good crowds turning up.

TRICIA STEWART: Yeah, I'm thrilled with it. It's wonderful, it's a wonderful movie and I'm just so thrilled it's going to be such a success.

DAVID FROST: And why is it Leukaemia Research that you've chosen?

TRICIA STEWART: Well when we'd done all this - we did the calendar because a friend of ours, John Baker, died from non-hoskins lymphoma and we wanted to do something to raise money for Leukaemia Research Fund after he died and that's why we did the calendar and the whole reason that we still fundraise for Leukaemia Research.

DAVID FROST: Well thank you very much ... and let's also speak there to the man who is on the left of the screen, on your right, Alastair Campbell. Have you stayed in training since the London Marathon Alastair?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL: I went out of training and I've tried to come back in but I've not trained as well for this one as I did for the London Marathon.

DAVID FROST: Right, but this is half as long so it shouldn't be too exhausting should it?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL: Well my, my unofficial coach, Mr Brendan Foster, says that half as long doesn't always mean half as easy or half as hard.

DAVID FROST: No that's absolutely true. And of course we can't talk about Hutton this morning because it's sort of sub judice but what was your reaction to the Brent East result?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL: I think that if what's happened is that for years we've been defying political gravity and it's maybe gone back to a bit of normality now and that's that governments go through difficult periods but the reality is if governments do the right thing for people's living standards and jobs and public services they'll get there in the end.

But anyway, today I'm not really thinking or bothered about jobs and public services, I'm thinking about getting my legs and arms round 13 miles.

DAVID FROST: Right. And at the same time what are your plans now? You haven't left number ten yet, you haven't started on a book for a year or two, what's next? A holiday?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL: What's next is to get to the start line with Tricia, raise lots of money for Leukaemia Research by lots of nice people phoning that number you hopefully see on my T-shirt, and then I'll go back home and then I'll start thinking about what I want to do in the future but to be perfectly honest David, I haven't really given it much thought yet.

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