Dizzy has this photo of the throbbing hive of activity that is Hain campaign HQ.

Are they boxes of fake tan piled up?

Hain, being ex-Liberal party lacks grassroots Labour support, hence his reliance on SpAds and lobbyists to run his campaign. Rank and file members are very tribal – he isn’t trusted.

Despite having an effectively taxpayer subsidised campaign he still has some spending to do. And according to this document that has been passed to Guido he plans to spend little short of a cool six-figures on his campaign.

The campaign’s expenditure summary can be downloaded here.

Notice no allowance made for mobile phones and Blackberries (SpAds have government issued mobiles and Blackberries, you pay for them). Hain is pressing the flesh everywhere he goes and putting the travel down to ministerial expenses (you pay again) he is hosting drinks parties for journalists (as a minister of course, nothing to do with the leadership battle, you pay for that as well).

But who is coughing up for Hain’s expensive campaign? Sleazy lobbyist Steve Morgan is running the show…

Yesterday’s request for co-conspirators to email Guido with titbits and gossip about the wannabee Number Twos produced an effluence of information, largely for some reason about Team Hain. Fascinating stuff, most of which you won’t find on Hain4Labour. On the campaign site his lengthy and detailed political biography neglects to mention that he was the president of the Young Liberals in 1977. Not a lot of policy positions either, beyond “I agree with Gordon” which he couples with the word “radical” repeatedly. However a co-conspirator has dug out the perma-tan’s policy views. In his book “The Democratic Alternative” he lists what a Hain administration would do in the first 100 days. It is heady stuff:

State-controlled authoritarian socialism, unlilateral disarmanent with CND invited to takeover the Ministry of Defence, leaving NATO, government organised anti – American demonstrations, price-controls, it is all there. Hain aims to turn Britain into a rainy version of Cuba. Is this what he means by “radical”? Does Gordon know about this?

What will Ronnie Cohen do when they nationalise his private equity investments?

…to be continued.

Politicians including Hilary Clinton think getting down with the kids requires a MySpace site. Research by Heather Hopkins at Hitwise suggests it is an ineffective way of reaching voters. In the UK MySpacers are more likely to be welfare chavs on council estates* who don’t vote. Peter Hain’s leadership campaign has a MySpace site. Is that smart targeting of his likely supporters, or just stupid?

*Heather didn’t describe them in those words.

Guido hears that Hain had a bit of a panic this morning after his campaign’s strategy and supporters list was put online. The resulting emergency conference call had a theme; “shit, what are we going to do?”

Apparently Labour staffers are in the shit, since they are supposed to be impartial. Which means Sheila Murphy, Labour’s Northern Director and Barrie Grunewald, Regional Director Yorks and Humber, will have to explain themselves to Hilary Benn and Alan Johnson, who are both in their regional care.

Life won’t be any easier for Felicity Williams, General Secretary of the Wales TUC who is in a politically restricted post, nor Lynn Glaister, Welsh Regional Officer and Arlene Ainsley – Regional Officer for the North of England.

One thing is for sure, Joe Carberry, Hain’s researcher and the author of the document along with Phil Taylor, Hain’s SpAd, are not going to be popular with the boss or his supporters after this screw up…

Normally this kind of thing when leaked is not that exciting, Guido is usually underwhelmed by the details of by-election battle-plans and suchlike. But you know, the perma-tanned boy-racer is so bloody irritating that hopefully outing some MPs who have tentatively promised him support (no doubt they have said the same to other candidates) will give him a bit of a slap and please many rugby fans.

Particularly amusing to see listed is the promise by Harriet Harman’s PPS, Martin Linton, that he will publicly support her rival for deputy leader. What is clear is the total state of paralysis gripping the party of government as all minds are focused on positioning. Poor the Harriet…

Apparently Downing Street wants Kerry to win. According to Peter Hain, a man known to shoot his mouth off from his left hip, Blair is rootin’ for Kerry. Or maybe Hain is rootin’ for Kerry. Dangerous ground methinks, Look how Howard has felt a not too gentle chill wind blowing from Washington. Particularly as Kerry looks increasingly likely to do a Dukkakis impression.

Anyway I doubt its true the religious-neo-conservative-power-crazed-loony dislikes his opposite number in the Whitehouse. Whilst we’re on the subject has anyone seen the famous Blair cowboy boots? Better still do you have pictures?