Inside the corridors of power

What happens when someone who has helped shape the political narrative steps out from behind the scenes to share the stories that rarely make the official record?

That is the intriguing proposition behind An Evening with Alastair Campbell: Populism, Polarisation and Post-Truth, a special live event bringing one of Britain’s most recognisable political voices to Adelaide.

As communications director and chief spokesman for former British prime minister Tony Blair, Campbell was at the heart of New Labour’s rise to power and some of the most defining political events of recent decades. From the Good Friday Agreement and the Kosovo conflict to the Iraq War, he witnessed history unfold from the corridors of power.

Now an author, broadcaster and co-host of the hugely successful podcast The Rest Is Politics, Campbell has become a prominent commentator on the forces shaping modern democracy, drawing on an insider’s understanding of politics, media and the personalities behind the headlines.

For the Adelaide event, he will be joined on stage by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, bringing together two perspectives on political leadership – one shaped by decades inside the machinery of British government, the other by the realities of leading an Australian state.

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The pairing creates an opportunity to explore the changing nature of political power from both sides of the equation, with discussion ranging from the rise of populism and growing political divisions to the erosion of public trust and the increasingly complex relationship between politics and the media.

But this is no straightforward political history lesson. The conversation will turn to some of the biggest questions confronting democracies today. Why are populist leaders gaining ground? How have political divisions become so entrenched? And what happens to public debate when social media, artificial intelligence and an increasingly fragmented media landscape make it harder to distinguish fact from fiction?

These are questions that extend well beyond Westminster or Washington. They are increasingly relevant to Australia, too, as political leaders, voters and institutions navigate an era of heightened division and declining trust.

Campbell’s perspective combines an understanding of how political messages are crafted with first-hand experience of the pressures and personalities that shape major decisions. His willingness to speak openly about the realities of political life offers audiences a perspective that goes beyond carefully managed public statements and campaign rhetoric.

For audiences familiar with The Rest Is Politics, the live format offers a chance to experience the candid discussion that has helped make the podcast such a success, with the added immediacy of being in the room. Rather than simply revisiting familiar headlines, the evening promises to explore the thinking, personalities and competing pressures behind them.

Campbell’s reputation for candour and wit suggests the evening will be as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. While the subject matter is serious, the appeal extends beyond political enthusiasts to anyone interested in how power works, how public opinion is shaped and why the world feels increasingly divided.

In an age when political commentary is often reduced to soundbites and competing social media narratives, the opportunity to hear directly from someone who has experienced the realities of government – alongside a serving political leader – offers something increasingly unusual: a chance to step back from the daily news cycle and examine the bigger picture.

For one evening, Adelaide audiences will have a front-row seat to that conversation.

An Evening with Alastair Campbell: Populism, Polarisation and Post-Truth takes place at Adelaide Festival Centre on Wednesday, November 18, at 7.30pm. The 110-minute event includes a 20-minute interval.

Tickets are available here.