Where is Iain McNicol? Certainly not in Victoria Street, Not with Ed Miliband and the rest of the Shadow Cabinet launching Labour’s local elections campaign in Birmingham.

According to a Guido co-conspirator inside Labour HQ Iain McNicol has, in true David Brent style the day after Labour’s worst by-election defeat in 30 years, got on a plane and went on a two-week skiing holiday in the US. The timing could not be worse.

Astonished Guido called the Labour Party press office, got no comment, so decided to tweet the man himself:

https://twitter.com/#!/GuidoFawkes/status/186776742218833921

The press office then called back and said he had indeed gone on holiday for a few days. They would not confirm if it was in fact for 14 days, skiing or in America, they stressed however that he was in telephone contact.

Staff are appalled that any member of staff, let alone the General Secretary, would go on holiday in April before a tough local election campaign. Particularly after not forseeing the disaster in Bradford…