The first scalp for Lynton Crosby?

A report in today’s Sun by the paper’s political editor, Trevor Kavanagh says that Tony Blair is preparing to sideline the head of Labour’s election campaign, Alan Milburn. This follows fears of a Tory revival.

According to Kavanagh, who has a reputation for getting all the top Downing Street scoops, Milburn “is seen as a flop”. He makes way for Gordon Brown, who only last week was hailed by Blair as the “best Chancellor for 100 years”.

The move follows increasing criticism within the party about the way it has dealt with the agressive and increasingly effective style of the Tory’s Australian campaign head, Lynton Crosby. The perception of many is that the Crosby approach has managed to set the agenda in recent weeks with Labour’s key announcements being crowded out.

This change, if confirmed, is a great victory for the Chancellor who was reported to be getting increasingly concerned about the way he had been side-lined.