Westminster Blog

In case you missed it:

And here is a transcript kindly provided by Sky: Worth reading right to the end. (Also worth pointing out that Sky has missed out the bit where Boulton accuses Campbell of being unelected and the latter replies: “You’re elected are you?”

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Yes, I know, you’re obviously upset that David Cameron is not Prime Minister.

ADAM BOULTON:
I’m not upset, you are, you keep casting aspersions and …

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Calm down.

ADAM BOULTON:
I am commenting, don’t keep saying what I think.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
This is live on television.

JEREMY THOMPSON:
Alastair, Alastair …

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Dignity, dignity.

ADAM BOULTON:
Don’t keep telling me what I think, this is what you do, you come on and you say you haven’t won the election …

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Jeremy …

ADAM BOULTON:
… you talk to me, I’m fed up with you telling me what I think, I don’t think that.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
I don’t care what you’re fed up with, you can say what you like. I can tell you my opinion …

ADAM BOULTON:
Don’t tell me what I think.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
I will tell you why I think you are reacting so badly.

JEREMY THOMPSON:
Alastair, you are being a bit provocative here and unnecessarily so.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Well sometimes politics is about passionate things.

JEREMY THOMPSON:
I understand that.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
He is saying Gordon Brown is no longer legitimately in Downing Street, I’m saying he is. He is.

ADAM BOULTON:
No, I’m saying look at the performances in the elections, Labour did worse than the Conservatives, will you accept that?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
I know. They got more seats, of course they did, the Tories go more seats…

ADAM BOULTON:
So you do accept it?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Yes. Equally Gordon Brown is constitutionally perfectly entitled to be Prime Minister and …

JEREMY THOMPSON:
Alastair, just tell me how …

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Let me finish this point. He has managed this situation I think perfectly properly. He has today announced he will not be the Prime Minister …

ADAM BOULTON:
Can I ask you a simple question?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Yes.

ADAM BOULTON:
Why hasn’t he had a Cabinet meeting before making this offer?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
He is about to have a Cabinet meeting now.

ADAM BOULTON:
Yes, but now he has made the offer, what can the Cabinet do, why haven’t you had a meeting with the parliamentary Labour party like the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives have had?

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
He’s having one tomorrow, he’s having one tomorrow.

JEREMY THOMPSON:
Gentlemen, gentlemen.

ADAM BOULTON:
In other words it’s you, totally unelected have plotted this with …

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Me?

ADAM BOULTON:
Yes. You are happiest speaking about him …

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
That’s because the Ministers are going to a Cabinet meeting …

ADAM BOULTON:
He has got a parliamentary party, you’re the one that cooked it up, you’re the one that’s cooked it up with Peter Mandelson.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
Oh my God, unbelievable. Adam, calm down.

JEREMY THOMPSON:
Gentlemen, gentlemen, let this debate carry on later. Let’s just remind you that Gordon Brown said a few minutes ago…

ADAM BOULTON:
I actually care about this country.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
You think I don’t care about it, you think I don’t care about it.

ADAM BOULTON:
I don’t think the evidence is there.

JEREMY THOMPSON:
… let’s listen to Gordon Brown’s statement.