An outbreak of bitchiness on Newsnight last night between Alastair Campbell and Michael Howard.  The momentary look of panic on Paxman’s face was a joy to behold.

HOWARD:  I’ve written about this in The Spectator so I may as well say it to his [Campbell's] face.  Tony Blair shadowed me when I was Employment Secretary and when I was Home Secretary.  In all my dealings with him in those years he was absolutely straight, he was absolutely straightforward.  I have no complaints.  I think that’s the man [Campbell] who’s responsible for what’s changed.  I think the way in which Alastair has conducted his operations when he was in Downing Street, when he bullied and lied his way across our political life consistently, did more to lower the tone of our political life, our public life, more than anything else – and that was all, of course, done with Tony Blair’s connivance and authority so Tony Blair has to bear the ultimate responsibility for it.

CAMPBELL:  I know it’s Michael’s view.  I think it’s very sad he thinks like that.  I think a lot of it is down to the fact that Tony [sic] is one of the handful of Tory leaders that Tony Blair saw off.  I’m actually not going to respond to the point about lying, Michael.

HOWARD:  I thought it long before I was ever leader of the [Conservative] party, as you know.

CAMPBELL:  Indeed.

HOWARD:  What Alastair’s done has been very well documented: Peter Oborne has written a book about it.  As far as I’m aware Alastair hasn’t taken any action against it.

CAMPBELL:  I haven’t even read it.

HOWARD:  It’s been very well documented, time after time after time.

CAMPBELL:  I think the Tory Party have got a real problem, though Cameron is a new leader and is trying to change it.  They are in complete denial about why they lost.  They think it was won by people like me: it was won because Tony Blair was an exceptional political leader.

HOWARD:  Look, I’ve paid tribute to his political skills and he deserves great credit for the way in which he changed the Labour Party, for the way in which he won three General Elections.  But I think it is indisputable that the tone and standards of public life in this country have deteriorated radically in those ten years and I think you bear a heavy share of the responsibility for that.

CAMPBELL:  Well, I’m happy to take your criticisms, Michael, but I think a lot of it is sour grapes, the fact you lost.

Give ‘em a saucer of milk…