Tony Blair’s tribute to David Hill

I have known David Hill for well over 30 years. He was highly intelligent, insightful, had a wonderfully unruffled manner and was deeply respected by everyone who worked with him. He was a natural pick to succeed Alastair Campbell and became my press spokesman in 2003 at a moment of real difficulty for the government. His ability to work under pressure, to remain unflappable when most people would have been severely flapping, was what made him such a great person to be around. His diligence and capability were enormous. And the media liked him and trusted him. But most of all the people who worked with him and under him felt a huge loyalty and affection for him. My deepest condolences to Hilary, who was such a help to David through good times and more recently bad, and to his wider family.