Alastair Campbell: "How can people be happy buying The Daily Mail?"

 
Radio 4’s flagship news programme Today has seen its listening figures surge – 7.15 million of us now tune in each week – but one person who won’t be listening each morning is former New Labour spin guru Alastair Campbell.

Campbell, responsible for moulding the news agenda that opinion-forming shows such as Today once followed, told The Big Issue he finds the programme a turn-off – and also skips The Daily Mail

During a wide-ranging interview for this week’s Letter To My Younger Self feature in the magazine, the 54-year-old highlighted a national ‘happiness agenda’ as crucial.

“I think it’s a really good way of looking at government policy,” he said. “Let’s say that when we look at for example, education – are we helping our children to be more happy?

“That doesn’t just mean having fun, it’s also about fulfillment. I like the idea that every policy-maker shouldn’t just think about the economy – society, equality, they’re all important – but we should also ask if it makes the country more happy.

“One of the best things we did when we came into power was to give free access to museums to children.”

He added: “How can a country be happy when two million people a day fork out their hard earned cash to buy the Daily Mail? Me, personally, I’ve learned not to listen to the Today programme – why start your day by giving yourself a headache?”

Alastair Campbell’s Letter To My Younger Self is in The Big Issue (dated January 30), available from a vendor now