Word reaches Guido that Gordon Brown’s new “Strategic Communications Adviser” will be Nick Stace, who is currently Director of Campaigns and Communications at the Consumers’ Association (Which?).

Gordon must be in a real mess as Stace is not what you would regard as high calibre – he so badly mishandled the whole Home Information Packs (HIPs) stuff that the Consumers’ Association went from supporting the government to half supporting the government, to eventually disowning the government plan. Or something like that, it all got a little confusing.

Also as early as next week a new Head of Press and Broadcasting for the Labour Party will be appointed – expect it to be an internal appointment. This follows the appointment of Stephen Carter over Damian McBride in Downing Street.

Gordon is said to have performance concerns about McSnide’s ever increasing tendency to be found propping up the bar. Guido sympathises – spinning for Gordon would drive anyone to drink…

Immigration minister Liam Byrne told BBC News this morning that the Australian immigration control model had been closely examined by the British government: “I think that people want to know that only those who we need to come to Britain should be allowed to come and I think a points system has worked extremely well in Australia so we have studied that hard, we think it would work well in this country.”
The 2005 Conservative Party Manifesto promised “We will introduce a points-based system for work permits similar to the one used in Australia. This will give priority to people with the skills Britain needs.”

Remember how the Labour Party made a huge issue of the policy and campaign posters, outrageously condemning the commitment as a racist dog-whistle policy. Less than three years later Labour is implementing the same policy.

UPDATE : Gordon describes himself as a Daily Mail reader in the paper this morning when backing their campaign against plastic bags. So he is actually thinking what Paul Dacre is thinking.