Former Labour No.10 man Darren Murphy took to Twitter moments after Ed’s Today programme performance to declare, though “painful to say it”, that the interview had “more than a touch of the Iain Duncan Smith about it”. Like many Blairites he is off making money away from frontline politics, Murphy remains well connected in the party. Funnily enough the tweet soon disappeared, and was replaced with this:

Ed M has an answer which is stronger & more confident than I believe in myself; it's setting the political agenda as he has done recently—
Darren Murphy (@MrDarrenMurphy) January 10, 2012

All together now: The Leader is good. The Leader is great.

This morning’s Today appearance was the first outing for Ed, apart from “Blackbusters”, since Dec 29. Despite the SNP pushing Labour into fourth place yesterday in terms of party profile, the new plan to keep Ed below the surface, only to be deployed at key strategic moments, is being stuck to. Labour sources compare it to the role that Osborne played in opposition. As Ed surfaces today, it’s worth looking at some of the tweaks being made below the waterline.

Former ITV chief Charles Allen, who recommended hiring Tim Livesey for the job of Ed’s Chief of Staff, is still trying to streamline the Labour operation in readiness for the arrival of six new Executive Directors. The jobs are currently being advertised, but word is they are filling up fast. Current press spinner Bob Roberts is likely to be going to Labour HQ, most probably in the Comms Director role. All agree that this is a promotion, though Guido wonders why you would want your main spinner based in a different office from your leader? Greg Beales is said to be mulling over whether to take the Policy and Rebuttal role that Guido mentioned yesterday, though apparently he is wary of leaving his master’s side. Though Labour HQ will be moving closer to parliament, a big shift away from the Leader of the Opposition’s suite is still happening.

While some people talk of a “refocus” for him, other speculate that Tom Baldwin is the loser of this reorganisation. One source even suggested Tom had lost a up to a third of his responsibilities, leaving him only with weekly key messages and strategic lines to take.

Lower down the ranks, the extraordinarily high turnover of demoralised political advisers leaving for jobs outside politics is rather telling…

UPDATE: Well we know what Tom’s first line was this morning:

V strong and assured performance by @Ed_Miliband against Humphreys @BBCr4today—
Peter Hain (@PeterHain) January 10, 2012

Very strong, assured performance from @Ed_Miliband on @BBCr4today this a.m—
Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) January 10, 2012

730 days ago the Labour Party were secretly flapping about their leader, but publicly grinning, all be it with guns to their head:

If Guido recalls correctly, Gordon’s “relaunch” a few days later was a spectacular success.

The Don’t Unseat Ed Miliband Association had a shaky baptism of fire last week. Both big mouths and events caused no end of trouble. So good news then that Labour are looking to hire a spinner solely for rapid rebuttal:

Labour Party
Job Description

Job title: Executive Director, Rebuttal and Policy
Location: Based at Head Office London

Key Purpose: Provide strategic leadership responsible for designing the Party’s policy programme and managing the research and rebuttal functions necessary to carry out this role

Working with the leadership, shadow cabinet and all parts of the Party, to co-ordinate and implement a winning policy agenda to lead into the next general election

Establish a rapid rebuttal function to allow the Party to respond quickly and effectively to claims made about the Party’s policy positions

Guido is looking forward to sparring…

Compare and contrast the greys pre-Christmas with today’s dark locks…

UPDATE:

Huge stewards inquiry in the Guy Newsroom over Dave dyeing hair. Editorial clash on the big issues.—
Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) January 06, 2012

UPDATE II:  Definitive professional opinion

@guidofawkes I'm a hairdresser and it's no.Hair colour in daylight and flourescent light (which severely dulls hair colour) can't compare it—
Clare Harper (@clareyh) January 06, 2012

Given that the system is already at breaking point, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing that the number of university applications is falling, but nearly all the papers this week have agreed that it is happening:

Mirror: “University applications fall 25,000″

Mail: “University applications down by 23,000″

Indy: “University applications down despite late surge”

Times: “Fewer British and European students apply to universities despite surge before deadline”

Telegraph: “University demand falls by 8%”

Guardian: “University applications slip by 8% as fees triple”

Only the FT bucked the trend with: “Students undeterred by higher University fees”

Guess which one of those pieces was written by a former adviser to David Willetts, the Minister responsible for universities?

Take a bow, spinner turned Education Correspondent and blog favourite, Chris Cook of the FT…

During his pre-Christmas leadership wobble, Ed rushed out the news that Tim Livesey, a former senior adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been hired as his new Chief of Staff. Well what a first week he’s having! Yesterday there was Glasman, then the cack-handed response to Abbott this morning, and now Tom Baldwin’s latest strategy memo has been leaked, to much hilarity. Apparently Labour’s post-election recovery has been the best of any party in history. Quiet at the back.

Isn’t it amazing how it’s Sam Coates of The Times keeps getting Baldwin’s memos. They used to work together when Baldwin was the Times’ Chief Reporter. It’s almost as if Baldwin knows that a “leak” is more likely to be read over a press release. Straight out of the Democrat play-book…

UPDATE: Not a strategy, it is a lunchtime line to take. Baldwin would know.

Labour hq source just called. The lunchtime leak memo is 'not a strategy document'. It is a 'script for people going on broadcast'. Er…—
Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) January 05, 2012

The new year is often a good time for pressure-groups, charities and minor players to get headlines beyond their normal reach. A well-timed press release can work wonders in the quieter days before the Westminster is fully up and running. Today was no exception, and step forward the Family and Parenting Institute.

“Couples with children ‘to be hardest hit’ by coalition tax and benefit changes” claim the headlines this morning,  however it seemed nobody bothered to take a moment to think this might not be the most balanced group in the world. The Family and Parenting Institute was set up by the Labour Party, and its current Chief Exec, who had previously been head of that bastion of neutrality the Fawcett Society, was hand-picked by Alistair Campbell’s partner Fiona Miller. They must be laughing their heads off with the coverage…

Back in October, Guido broke the news that the Conservative MEP Roger Helmer had handed a letter of resignation to CCHQ. This blog was also first with the fact that CCHQ were doing their utmost to stop Rupert Matthews, the next candidate on the East Midlands party list and Helmer’s preferred successor, from being anointed. Well once again Guido is first with the news: Roger Helmer won’t be resigning after all.

Helmer’s resignation was supposed to be effective of today, but as party chairman Sayeeda Warsi is apparently insisting on someone other than Matthews, apparently “a less-geeky woman”, takes over, Helmer has decided to dig his boots in. A European co-conspiritor told Guido last night “Roger won’t be going anywhere unless Rupert is guaranteed.” CCHQ sources insist that they won’t be budging on this one, so it looks like Helmer will be staying. Once again, the Tory high-command’s gender-agenda has created an almighty mess…

Michael Dugher fancies himself as Ed Miliband’s answer to Peter Mandelson. Guido thinks he is as slippery with his spin, but nowhere near as smart as the Dark Lord. Dugher has just emailed out a press release, Guido is ignoring the embargo because he wasn’t a recipient of this press release:

Date: 30 December 2011 17:13:57 GMT

Subject: EMBARGOED NEWS FROM LABOUR: David Cameron promised to clean up politics, but in office he has shown he is utterly out of touch with decent British people – Dugher

Responding to the New Year’s Honours List, Michael Dugher, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Office Minister said:

“David Cameron promised to clean up politics, but in office he has shown he is utterly out of touch with decent British people. He’s giving a knighthood to Paul Ruddock, who made millions from the collapse of Northern Rock and has given over half a million pounds to the Tories, and another to Gerald Ronson who was jailed for his part in a share-trading fraud.

“This tells you everything you need to know about the Tories’ priorities. At a time when millions of families are struggling to get by, it’s the Tories’ friends in the City who get the rewards.”

ENDS

A bit rich you might think coming from the party that knighted RBS’s Fred Goodwin. Paul Ruddock has a gallery in the British Museum named after him and is chairman of the board of the V & A. He has given tens of millions to charity and is a well know philanthropist. So no surprise that he gets a well deserved knighthood.

Truly shocking that the Tories would give a knighthood to a convicted fraudster. Except they haven’t. Dugher has screwed up again…