Chris Rennard stood down as the CEO of the Liberal Democrats citing ill health. Nothing to do with the outrage caused by the £41,000 in expenses he claimed for his “holiday home” in Vauxall-on-Sea. Let’s not forget all those other skeletons in the cupboard too.

Well the rotund trougher is back. He was spinning for Clegg in Manchester and has been spotted going in and out of the Lib Dems Cowley Street HQ. When Guido put a call in to ask them what his official role in the campaign was the inept spinner replied “Oh I’m not even sure what his unofficial role is.”

So we know he is back but they have taken over an hour and still no response to what his official role is, how much he is being paid and whether he has recovered from the health reasons that saw him stand down… Still waiting for that return call.

UPDATE: So the official line is that Rennard was in Manchester in a “personal capacity” and “he is not part of our campaign team“. That doesn’t really wash given that the Manchester debate site was on lock down and someone would had to have cleared his pass. Is he also going in and out of Party headquarters in a “personal capacity”?

UPDATE: Cowley Street’s Phil Reilly has got himself into a right teenage rage with this one. He claims because he hasn’t personally seen Rennard in HQ he’s not been there, but that’s not what Guido’s witnesses say.  The line has also changed to Rennard being a “guest of a media organisation” in Manchester.  Everyone there was a “guest of a media organisation” – namely ITV who hosted the event.