Self-styled “Writer, Thinker, Strategist” and freshly sensitive lamb John McTernan got all upset when he was mocked yesterday. So much so that Labour’s permanent back-room boy has taken to the Times today to tell us how everyone except him is terrible at their job. As Guido was pointing out as far back as 2007, McTernan’s own CV is a catalogue of humiliating failures:

• Special Advisor to Harriet Harman at what was then the Department for Social Security – Harman was sacked.
• Helped run Frank Dobson’s mayoral Campaign – Dobson lost.
• Special Advisor to Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish – McLeish had to resign over expenses.
• Helped run Labour’s Scottish Parliament Campaign in 2007 – Labour were beaten in Scotland for the first time in 50 years.
• Went to spin for Julia Gillard down under – Gillard was booted out by her own party.

Down under McTernan liked to play up his reputation as something of a Malcolm Tucker figure. A senior Labour source says there is one key difference: “the thing about the comparison between him and Malcolm Tucker is that Malcolm Tucker had talent.” Sign him up Ed!