Labour claimed that Ed Miliband had a very important diary clash that stopped him speaking to all of his friends at the British Chamber of Commerce today:

.@BCCJohnL on Labour leader's absence from #BCCConf: 'It was disappointing. I think Ed Miliband had other diary commitments'

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) February 10, 2015

Though Ed Balls didn’t know what it was:

Ed Balls on nature of diary clash preventing Ed Miliband from attending BCC conference: "I've absolutely no idea". #wato

— PoliticsHome (@politicshome) February 10, 2015

It turns out he was hiding in his office:

Miliband has been in 'internal meetings' in Westminster today, a couple of hundred yards from BCC conference. Sources say no snub intended

— Jason Groves (@JasonGroves1) February 10, 2015

Gordon Brown levels of incompetence. It’s not as if Axelrod was even in town…