“Tony likes big challenges. Northern Ireland gave him a sense that even intractable conflicts can move. He believes the world can’t just accept that some places are destined to be at war forever.”
That’s the assessment of former British prime minister Tony Blair, who is slated to head US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to lead redevelopment efforts in Gaza, from one of the people who knows Blair best – Alastair Campbell, who worked with Blair as spokesman, press secretary, and director of communications and strategy.
Since October 7, Campbell observed, “The Israel-Gaza issue has become central to politics everywhere. Even in Europe, in elections [in places] like the Netherlands, voters say Gaza is a top concern. Tony understands the global weight of this issue.”
Critics of Blair, who boasts a long involvement in the Middle East – as Quartet envoy after leaving office – accuse him of chasing relevance. Campbell disagrees: “He built an institute not to make money but to make an impact. Public service takes different forms – his just evolved.
“Tony’s great gift was his humanity – his ability to bring people with him. Whether you agreed with him or not, he believed in progress, in talking, in trying. And that still matters,” Campbell said.
“The 1997 election was really two stories,” Campbell said, recalling the first election won by Tony Blair, ousting the Conservatives after 13 years in 10 Downing Street. “The outgoing Conservatives were exhausted, and Tony was full of energy, ideas, and optimism. He was the right man in the right place at the right time.”
For Campbell, the Blair era was not just about winning elections but changing the mood of a nation. “He spoke to a zeitgeist that was developing. Britain was vibrant, confident, and ready to modernize. Tony’s message – that we had to get with the times – really struck a chord.”
Blair’s strength, Campbell noted, was his empathy – even for political rivals. “He once told us, ‘I get why people don’t like us.’ He could understand why Conservatives were conservative, and he knew how to speak to them.”
When asked about Blair’s early triumph, the Good Friday Agreement between the different factions in Northern Ireland, Campbell’s voice warmed. “He achieved something that had eluded others for decades. Partly because he wanted it so much. But also because he had the ability to make each side understand where the other was coming from.”
Campbell recalled moments when the two sides, Unionists and Nationalists, couldn’t even be in the same room. “Tony acted as a translator of motives.”
For Northern Ireland, that meant recognizing both communities’ legitimate aspirations: the Unionists’ right to determine their constitutional future and the Nationalists’ demand for equality, respect, and ties to the Republic of Ireland.
“That was the essence – mutual recognition, respect, and understanding. And if you think about it,” Campbell added pointedly, “there’s a parallel today with Gaza. People in Gaza need to live without fear of an Israeli soldier around the corner. But Israel also has the right not to live under constant threat from Hamas. Both sides have to find that mutual space.”
No discussion of Tony Blair would be complete without discussing the Iraq War in 2003. Both the US, under president George Bush, and the UK, under Tony Blair, invaded Iraq and toppled dictator Saddam Hussein after claiming he was hiding weapons of mass destruction that were never found. “Yes, it’s part of his legacy – and a complicated one. People say, ‘He was a great prime minister, but it all went wrong with Iraq.’ But that’s one perspective.”
Campbell remembers Blair role in Northern Ireland peace deals
Campbell points to others who remember Blair differently: “He delivered peace in Northern Ireland, rebuilt public services, introduced devolution to Scotland. And I still meet people – like a Kurd who stopped me recently – who thanked him for what he did in Iraq.”
Ultimately, Campbell said, Blair’s legacy “is not simple, but whose is? What he brings is intelligence, optimism, and drive. Even when others said, ‘This will never work,’ Tony would insist, ‘We’ll get there in the end.’ That belief carried him through.”
Could Blair – now in his seventies – still make a difference in the Middle East? Campbell believes so. “He can’t fix peace alone. Nobody can. But he can be part of the process that makes peace possible. He’s still respected, still listened to.”
Asked whether Iraq permanently ended Blair’s political future, Campbell was pragmatic. “He was never going to stay forever. But remember, he won a third election after Iraq. That says something.”
And what of Israel’s own political scene? Campbell smiled. “When Tony was first elected, the first Israeli prime minister he met was Netanyahu. So, yes, history comes full circle. And no one should underestimate Tony’s political skills.”