Stop Press: Gordon Loses Spin Doctor And Recalls Mandelson
Friday, October 3rd, 2008 by Mark Hanson 
Looks like last week’s ‘boozy briefing’ has cost Damien McBride his position as Number 10 media handler. Brown is shunting him to a new role, doesn’t specify which, although I’ve been told he’ll be assisting Liam Byrne with his task of ‘unifying the Party’ and ‘internal comms’. May be he’ll also do ‘blue skies thinking’?
Basically Gordon is calling for the security of the old brigade - the guys who made the New Labour media apparatus purr efficiently in the 90s. Mandelson back as business secretary but inevitably will offer comms advice, David Bradshaw approached to be speech writer, Alistair Campbell fronting the Brown-endorsed ‘Gofourth’ campaign, Philip Gould given a special award at Conference and of course Derek Draper generally advising.
Where does this leave Stephen Carter? Gone as soon as its ‘tactful to do so’ according to a Number 10 source.
Where does this leave the embryonic new media strategy? More on that later…..
