Latest news with #AlastairCampbell
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Anti-Brexit newspaper changes name to reflect ‘reality' of global politics
The New European, a 'Remainer' magazine launched in response to the Brexit referendum, is being renamed to reflect the changing picture of global politics. The rebrand to The New World is a nod to the 'the global unravelling' which started with Britain leaving the EU but is now being seen worldwide in countries such as the US, according to founder and editor in chief Matt Kelly. 'The New European was conceived as a pop-up provocation; a defiant middle finger to the rising tide of right wing populism that brought us Brexit,' said Mr Kelly. 'Nine years later, the world and The New European has changed dramatically. This is a reflection of that new reality. 'We know there is enormous appetite for our style of journalism - vibrant, constructive, witty and full of ideas and great reads that make sense of this extraordinary moment in world politics and culture.' The New European, which has published more than 400 editions, had 35,000 paying subscribers and claim revenues have trebled since the business moved independent three years ago. Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who is editor-at-large of The New European newspaper, said themes that underpinned Brexit are playing out around the world, including a political shift to the right in many nations. 'We're always going to be very passionately anti-Brexit, very pro internationalism, liberal democracy,' said Mr Campbell. 'When we started the paper, you could never have predicted [where we are]. Just to look at United States alone. You wouldn't have predicted that Ukraine and Russia were going to be fighting a war on the edge of Europe. Lots has happened - it's a reflection of that.' Mr Campbell said he will 'never resile from the view that Brexit is the biggest act of self harm that we've inflicted upon ourselves', but added: 'I'm hoping this will be the next chapter of a story that we're going to keep telling, which is that liberal democracy is the way forward, that nationalism is not the answer to the challenges that we face, that populism is doomed to fail, and there's a better way that involves people with an optimistic, internationalist outlook.' New contributing editors slated to join The New World include Sonia Sodha, formerly of The Observer, The Revenge of Power author Moises Naim and Tom Baldwin, Keir Starmer's biographer and former senior advisor to Labour.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Alastair Campbell's anti-Brexit newspaper drops ‘European' branding
An anti-Brexit newspaper edited by Alastair Campbell is dropping its European branding nine years after the UK voted to leave the EU. The New European, which counts Tony Blair's former spin doctor as its editor-at-large, will be renamed The New World as the title aims to distance itself from its founding mission. The weekly paper initially launched as a four-week pop-up publication in response to the Brexit vote in 2016, saying it aimed to 'rebalance the Right-wing extremes of much of the UK national press'. However, the title is now expanding its outlook globally as interest in Brexit wanes and amid broader geopolitical turmoil. Mr Campbell said: 'When we started the paper, you could never have predicted [where we are]. Just to look at the United States alone. 'You wouldn't have predicted that Ukraine and Russia were going to be fighting a war on the edge of Europe. Lots has happened – it's a reflection of that.' But he added: 'We're always going to be very passionately anti-Brexit, very pro-internationalism, liberal democracy. I will never resile from the view that Brexit is the biggest act of self-harm that we've inflicted upon ourselves, certainly in my lifetime.' The New European was formerly owned by local newspaper group Archant before being taken private by its founder and a group of angel investors in 2021. Mark Thompson, the former BBC director general, and Lionel Barber, the former editor of the Financial Times, are among the investors in the title, alongside serial tech investor Saul Klein and Taavet Hinrikus, co-founder of payments firm Wise. The New European raised more than £1m in a crowdfunding campaign in 2023 that valued the business at £6m. The company will seek further investment later this year as it looks to move into new markets. The revamped title has tapped a string of new writers, including former Observer columnist Sonia Sodha and Tom Baldwin, a former senior Labour adviser and Sir Keir Starmer's biographer. They will join existing contributors including Matthew d'Ancona, Marie Le Conte and Paul Mason. The title, which will be available in the UK, Ireland and selected European capitals, will also boast a redesigned format. The company said the relaunch aimed to build on a growing subscriber base. Since 2022, revenues have tripled and subscriptions have quadrupled, taking the total weekly paying audience to around 35,000. Matt Kelly, the founder and editor-in-chief, said: 'The New European was conceived as a pop-up provocation; a defiant middle finger to the rising tide of Right-wing populism that brought us Brexit. 'Nine years later, the world and The New European has changed dramatically. This is a reflection of that new reality. 'We have come a long way. We have built a profitable business and a vibrant alternative to tired old legacy media models. Now we are ambitious for more growth.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alastair Campbell's anti-Brexit newspaper drops ‘European' branding
An anti-Brexit newspaper edited by Alastair Campbell is dropping its European branding nine years after the UK voted to leave the EU. The New European, which counts Tony Blair's former spin doctor as its editor-at-large, will be renamed The New World as the title aims to distance itself from its founding mission. The weekly paper initially launched as a four-week pop-up publication in response to the Brexit vote in 2016, saying it aimed to 'rebalance the Right-wing extremes of much of the UK national press'. However, the title is now expanding its outlook globally as interest in Brexit wanes and amid broader geopolitical turmoil. Mr Campbell said: 'When we started the paper, you could never have predicted [where we are]. Just to look at the United States alone. 'You wouldn't have predicted that Ukraine and Russia were going to be fighting a war on the edge of Europe. Lots has happened – it's a reflection of that.' But he added: 'We're always going to be very passionately anti-Brexit, very pro-internationalism, liberal democracy. I will never resile from the view that Brexit is the biggest act of self harm that we've inflicted upon ourselves, certainly in my lifetime.' The New European was formerly owned by local newspaper group Archant before being taken private by its founder and a group of angel investors in 2021. Former BBC director general Mark Thompson and former Financial Times editor Lionel Barber are among the investors in the title, alongside serial tech investor Saul Klein and Taavet Hinrikus, founder of payments firm Wise. The New European raised more than £1m in a crowdfunding campaign in 2023 that valued the business at £6m. The company will seek further investment later this year as it looks to move into new markets. The revamped title has tapped a string of new writers, including former Observer columnist Sonia Sodha and Tom Baldwin, a former senior Labour adviser and Sir Keir Starmer's biographer. They will join existing contributors including Matthew d'Ancona, Marie Le Conte and Paul Mason. The title, which will be available in the UK, Ireland and selected European capitals, will also boast a redesigned format. The company said the relaunch aimed to build on a growing subscriber base. Since 2022, revenues have tripled and subscriptions have quadrupled, taking the total weekly paying audience to around 35,000. Matt Kelly, the founder and editor-in-chief, said: 'The New European was conceived as a pop-up provocation; a defiant middle finger to the rising tide of Right-wing populism that brought us Brexit. 'Nine years later, the world and The New European has changed dramatically. This is a reflection of that new reality. 'We have come a long way. We have built a profitable business and a vibrant alternative to tired old legacy media models. Now we are ambitious for more growth.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Independent
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Alastair Campbell insists he and Tony Blair didn't lie over Iraq: ‘It turned out to be untrue'
Alastair Campbell has insisted he and Tony Blair did not lie over the government's decision to invade Iraq but that the reason behind the decision turned out to be 'untrue'. The former No 10 spin doctor made the comments during a talk at Wales' Hay Festival, which The Independent has partnered with. 'I got called a liar a lot; Tony Blair got called a liar a lot over Iraq,' he said. 'I know that we didn't lie. We made a decision based upon a premise that turned out to be untrue. It's not the same as a lie.' He added: 'Lying is when you are expressing something you know to be untrue. So Putin knows he invaded Ukraine. He knows it's not a special military operation because he's trying to wipe out another country.' Mr Campbell was Downing Street's director of communications and strategy while Mr Blair was in office and became one of the Labour prime minister's most trusted aides. He and Mr Blair have faced fierce criticism since the UK's invasion of Iraq, particularly over the dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, which was used to justify the invasion. The claims in the dossiers were later called into question when no WMD were found. Mr Campbell stood down amid the fallout but in 2016, the Chilcot Inquiry cleared him of the much-repeated accusation that he 'sexed up' the dossier. He has since said he 'wished Iraq never happened'. He is now the co-host of the award-winning podcast The Rest Is Politics where he and ex-Tory MP Rory Stewart discuss UK news and politics, and has also written 21 books including some about mental health. He spoke at a busy event at Hay Festival about his new book, But What Can I Do?: Why Politics Has Gone So Wrong, and How You Can Help Fix It. The wide-ranging talk covered other topics including his own issues with mental health and the dangers of populism in today's political landscape. Opening up about his brother's 'life changing' schizophrenia diagnosis, he went on to describe his own struggle with mental health. 'I had my own issues, I had a breakdown in 1996 and issues with addiction,' he said. 'I was a journalist and journalism back then was quite macho, heavy drinking, heavy smoking. I got arrested, I was in hospital. When I was let out and finally went back to work, everybody knew something had gone on. 'I just decided there and then - I'm going to be open. And it was amazing, the response from colleagues.' Since leaving office, he has gone on to be involved in a number of mental health charities, and spoken openly about being close to suicide. Hay Festival, which is pread over 11 days, is set in Hay-on-Wye, the idyllic and picturesque 'Town of Books'. The lineup includes Mary Trump, Michael Sheen, Jameela Jamil, and more. The Independent has partnered with the Festival once again to host a series of morning panels titled The News Review, where our journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy every morning.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump's involvement in Ukraine peace talks ‘giving Putin more power', Yulia Navalnaya says
Yulia Navalnaya has said Donald Trump's negotiations with Russia on Ukraine are making Vladimir Putin 'feel stronger'. The Russian activist and widow of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny said Trump speaking to the Russian president 'like they're equal' is making him more powerful. She made the remarks while speaking at a sold-out event with Alastair Campbell at Wales' Hay Festival on Friday, which The Independent is once again partnering with. 'Putin is crime person he is a kind of mafia boss. He kills people. He started the war,' Ms Navalnaya said when asked how she felt about Trump's involvement in Ukraine peace talks. 'Trump - you can like him or not - but he's an elected president of a big country. He participated in real elections, he won these elections. 'But all of these negotiations happening like they're equal gives Putin - who is a tyrant - more power. 'I'm sure it was very difficult for Putin and that he suffered a lot during these last few years because nobody would have been meetings with him. 'He was just sitting in Moscow scared to go anywhere because he was at war and he could be arrested somewhere. 'But now all of these negotiations have given him again more power. I'm absolutely sure Putin now feels more strength and like he can do whatever he wants because he feels people want to speak with him, people want to negotiate with him.' She added: 'Trump promised to stop this war and he's trying to show that he's capable of doing it. But it's very difficult in the end to do it with a person who promises something that you can't trust.' Ms Navalnya's late husband was arrested in 2021 after returning to Russia and had been serving sentences totalling more than 30 years on a number of charges, which were widely rejected by the international community. His death was announced by Russian authorities on 16 February 2024 while serving time in a 'special regime' penal colony in central Russia. The 47-year-old had reportedly fallen unwell after a walk, before losing consciousness. Ms Navalnaya has previously claimed Putin is responsible for Mr Navalny's death and today revealed how she found out about her husband's death through a news story. 'I was at Munich Security Conference just at regular meetings in my hotel room just preparing. Then I just opened [my phone] and it was written, 'Alexei Navalny dead in prison',' adding she had seen false headlines about her husband being dead in media at least once before. Since her husband's death, Navalnaya has vowed to continue his fight. Last July, Russia issued an arrest warrant for Ms Navalnaya herself, over accusations she has participated in an 'extremist' group. She described her late husband as 'courageous, funny and the was best man in the world' after walking in to a standing ovation at the event to discuss his book 'Patriot'. When asked if she hoped Russia would be a democracy one day at the end of the talk, she replied simply: 'Of course.' Spread over 11 days, the 38th spring edition of the annual cultural event is set in Hay-on-Wye, the idyllic and picturesque 'Town of Books'. The star-studded lineup includes Mary Trump, Michael Sheen, Jameela Jamil, and more.
