Can you survive politics and still speak honestly about your mental health?
Alastair Campbell — journalist, strategist, and mental health advocate — joins Mind Cake for a powerful conversation about resilience, depression, and what needs to change in society and government.
In this raw and revealing episode of Mind Cake, Paul Beeson and Lee Crompton sit down with Alastair Campbell — former communications chief to Tony Blair, acclaimed author, co-host of The Rest Is Politics, and outspoken mental health advocate.
Alastair opens up about living with depression, navigating the relentless pressure of political life, and how he’s learned to monitor his wellbeing using his own unique 1–10 scale.
This isn’t just a conversation about politics — it’s about what it means to keep going, even when the world expects you to hold it all together.
🧩 Inside this episode:
📉 Living with depression – Alastair’s candid account of breakdowns, recovery, and learning to ask for help
🏛️ Mental health and policy – How government can do better, and why stigma still persists
🧠 Coping strategies – From writing to routine to staying active, what keeps him grounded
⚽ Football detours – Maradona, VAR rants, and Burnley’s place in his mental health journey
🗳️ Politics now – Thoughts on leadership, polarisation, and the UK’s mental health priorities
This is a conversation about humanness, honesty, and hope — whether you're a politics nerd, a mental health warrior, or just looking to understand the person behind the headlines.
🎧 Listen now and discover how speaking up can change not just lives — but systems.
Links
Alastair Campbell
https://www.alastaircampbell.orgLiving Better (Book)
https://www.alastaircampbell.org/living-betterBBC Documentary: My Depression and Mehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005btv
The Rest is Politics (podcast)
