Wendy Loses Another Spinner

Dec 9 2007 By Mark Aitken Political Editor

Exclusive

WENDY ALEXANDER has lost her third spin doctor in three months.

Kerron Cross, 29, had accepted the offer of a job. But yesterday it emerged he is NOT joining her team - and a union is to fight the case.

An SNP spokesman said: "To lose one spin doctor may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose two is carelessness. To lose a third is a calamity".

Cross, of Hertfordshire, would have been deputy to Gavin Yates, who starts work as a Scottish Labour spokesman this week despite previously panning Alexander in his internet blog.

Yates' predecessor Matthew Marr resigned last month after using an obscenity about First Minister Alex Salmond at an awards dinner.

His predecessor, former Sunday Mail political editor Brian Lironi, quit after just six weeks.

Cross has described himself as "Kerron Cross - The Voice Of The Delectable Left" and "Labour's No.1 Political Blogger".

On his internet blog, he wrote: "I am a big fan/supporter of Wendy Alexander."

But he went on to criticise other Labour MSPs for failing to mount a leadership challenge to her.

He also wrote that Labour's Sarah Boyack's name made her sound like "a Hungarian rapper".

Cross was the victim of an eBay joke when he was put up for sale but failed to attract a bid of 25p.