UK News 30-08-2003 Campbell Quits who: Downing Street spokesman Alastair Campbell what: Says he will leave within the next few weeks where: Downing Street, LONDON when: Friday snippet: "Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair`s closest political confidant, who played a central role in modernising Labour and propelling the party to two election victories, is to leave Downing Street," reports The Telegraph. "I agreed with the prime minister last April that I would definitely go in the summer and I don`t want to say anything about the Hutton Inquiry at all," he tells the BBC`s political editor Andrew Marr. "Now I will be around for a short period to assist in the handover to somebody else who will be coming in and I will then continue to take an interest in politics and in writing and in broadcasting and in all sorts of other things." "His departure looks set to make way for another astonishing comeback by Peter Mandelson," says The Mirror. "The twice sacked minister is poised to fill the power vacuum at No10 - unofficially at least - and mastermind the introduction of the new `no spin` era." [... more]

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