Kremlinologists will enjoy Damian McBride’s article in the Times this morning. He says Wee Dougie Alexander has been sidelined and the paranoia from Team Ed about Andy Burnham’s motives has seen the Shadow Heath Secretary exiled too:

“Douglas Alexander, one of the leader’s few confidants, now finds himself ignored, clinging to his role of election co-ordinator in title alone. Less than 30 weeks to polling day, and no one is actually managing Labour’s campaign; it’s certainly a novel approach… instead of Mr Burnham being handed the lead role in a campaign geared around the NHS he finds himself in internal exile”

McBride concludes that Ed has to go, if he can’t change:

“before Labour can even think about fighting that campaign effectively — it must address the question of its leader and how he manages the top of the party. If Mr Miliband continues to operate in isolation for the next seven months, refusing to listen and treating senior colleagues like strangers or rivals, Labour will lose. To avoid that, either Labour must be willing to change its leader, or its leader must be willing to change himself.”

Ed should listen to Mr McBride – he’s spent plenty of time around isolationist Labour leaders who refuse to listen…