@@ -1,1 +1,1 @@ - +Serious concerns are being expressed by Ed Miliband's aides over the wisdom of his recent appointment<br>Serious concerns are being expressed by Ed Miliband's aides about the wisdom of the appointment of a veteran party apparatchik to an important role in the election campaign.<br>Long-standing Red Ed henchman John McTernan is the new chief of staff to recently appointed Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy — a vital job considering Labour's hopes of winning the General Election depend, to a great extent, on how many seats it gets north of the border.<br>The challenge for Miliband in Scotland is huge.<br><br>Recent opinion polls suggest that Labour is set to lose more than 30 of its current 40 Scottish seats.<br>This is why there are widespread worries about the London-born McTernan — particularly considering his track record.<br>His most recent role was head of communications to Julia Gillard, Australia's first woman PM.<br><br>Yet she then lost her job.<br>Previously, he was a special adviser to Harriet Harman in the first Blair government — but she lasted in her ministerial post for only a year.<br>Next, McTernan helped Frank Dobson's campaign to be London Mayor in 2000.<br>Dobson polled a humiliating 13 per cent of votes.<br>Then, he worked for Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish, who was forced to resign following a row over his expenses.<br> RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Undeterred, McTernan had a stint working in Downing Street, which led him to be twice questioned by the police — but not charged — over allegations that Tony Blair had sold honours.<br>Subsequently, McTernan had a role in Labour's campaign during the Scottish parliamentary election in 2007 — which resulted in Labour losing power to the SNP.<br> Long-standing Red Ed henchman John McTernan is the new chief of staff to recently appointed Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy<br>A year later, when working for the Scottish Office, he was hugely embarrassed after it was revealed that he had sent a private email some years previously in which he described Scotland as a ‘narrow, Presbyterian and racist' country.<br>Not exactly the sort of sentiments Labour needs to woo back disaffected Scottish voters — added to the fact that he also once worked under David Cameron as director of operations at Carlton Television.<br>  Labour flunkies told to 'sound normal' <br>Advisers for Labour smoothie Chuka Umunna are taking a most disingenuous approach to electioneering.<br> Shadow Buisness Secretary Chuka Umunna MP has been advised to act ‘normal', by introducing themselves as ‘community volunteers' rather than political propagandists<br>They suggest that canvassers should disguise their true activity and appear ‘normal' on the doorstep — maybe, by introducing themselves as ‘community volunteers' rather than political propagandists. <br>Jake Sumner, Umunna's chief political adviser who has worked on Barack Obama's campaign team, says he picked up the idea in the U.S.<br><br>and recommends on the Labour Uncut website: ‘Saying you are a "volunteer" sounds normal. Millions of people are "volunteers" in all walks of life.'<br>Labour's great problem is to persuade voters that the party leader, Ed Miliband, is ‘normal'.<br><br><br>  Lib Dem Education Minister David Laws is to address the Institute For Government think tank, where he will outline measures to ensure ‘politicians honour their manifesto commitments'.<br>I assume he was chosen because the Lib Dems so shamelessly broke their manifesto pledge over university tuition fees.<br> Lib Dem Education Minister David Laws is to address the Institute For Government think tank where he will outline measures to ensure ‘politicians honour their manifesto commitments'<br>  It's been revealed that it cost taxpayers £40,000 for Speaker John Bercow to mount his failed attempt to appoint an Australian as Clerk to the Commons.<br>Costs included £18,000 to employment head-hunters, £8,000 on advertising and £10,000 on ‘applicants' travel, hotel and subsistence costs'. <br>Bercow should reimburse taxpayers from the fee his wife Sally is due for C4's The Jump.<br>  David Cameron rejected calls to [https://www.groundreport.com/?s=review%20laws review laws] granting anonymity to sexual assault complainants<br>Hain, big spender.... <br>Peter Hain, who was the Welsh Secretary in Gordon Brown's government, says: ‘Labour needs to learn to love spending again.'<br>When, I wonder, did they ever stop?<br>Meanwhile, Labour MP John Mann has wise advice for Labour's out- of-touch metropolitan leadership.<br><br>‘Ignore the policy wonks and go for [https://dekamusic.ru настроить гитару] a ride in a Transit van.'<br>A white one, presumably.<br>David Cameron rejected calls to review laws granting [https://www.wired.com/search/?q=anonymity anonymity] to sexual assault complainants. <br>This came after the decision to drop a rape case against Tory Mark Pritchard. <br>The MP had argued: ‘The law protects the accuser not the accused.' <br>The PM's decision goes against 2010's Coalition Agreement, which said: ‘We will extend anonymity to rape case defendants.'<br>There's a catty Twitter spat after TV host Graham Norton said he ‘fundamentally disagrees' with George Galloway. <br>The Scottish firebrand MP replied: ‘How much money is the public forced to pay sordid snorter Graham Norton through the licence poll tax?' <br>Surely, a reference to the fact that Norton (who trousers £2.3 million from the BBC) said he enjoyed ‘lots of drugs' including cocaine. <br>