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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Labour's general secretary named | Labour's general secretary named |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| City fund manager David Pitt-Watson is to be Labour's new general secretary. | City fund manager David Pitt-Watson is to be Labour's new general secretary. |
| Mr Pitt-Watson, 51, has worked in the City since a two-year stint as Labour's assistant general secretary, responsible for finance, ended in 1999. | |
| He is expected to step down as chairman of Hermes Equity Ownership Services. Hermes is a Northern Rock shareholder. | He is expected to step down as chairman of Hermes Equity Ownership Services. Hermes is a Northern Rock shareholder. |
| Mr Pitt-Watson, understood to have been Gordon Brown's favoured candidate, will replace Peter Watt, who quit in the row over Labour's donations by proxy. | Mr Pitt-Watson, understood to have been Gordon Brown's favoured candidate, will replace Peter Watt, who quit in the row over Labour's donations by proxy. |
| Mr Pitt-Watson had argued publicly for the government to pursue a private sector solution to deal with Northern Rock, which has now been taken into public ownership. | Mr Pitt-Watson had argued publicly for the government to pursue a private sector solution to deal with Northern Rock, which has now been taken into public ownership. |
| 'Robust structures' | |
| The party's national executive chose him over Mike Griffiths, an official at the Unite union. | The party's national executive chose him over Mike Griffiths, an official at the Unite union. |
| Mr Pitt-Watson said he was "thrilled" to have been appointed adding: "My first priority is to build on the progress already made to get the Labour Party ready to win a future general election. | Mr Pitt-Watson said he was "thrilled" to have been appointed adding: "My first priority is to build on the progress already made to get the Labour Party ready to win a future general election. |
| This is the wrong way to go about rebuilding public confidence Chris GraylingConservatives | |
| "It is also to establish robust party structures and procedures in terms of finance and compliance to create stability for the organisation going forward." | "It is also to establish robust party structures and procedures in terms of finance and compliance to create stability for the organisation going forward." |
| Former general secretary Peter Watt resigned last November after admitting he knew businessman David Abrahams was donating money to Labour using other people's names. | Former general secretary Peter Watt resigned last November after admitting he knew businessman David Abrahams was donating money to Labour using other people's names. |
| The 37-year-old former nurse, who had been in the job since 2005, told Labour's ruling National Executive committee he was not aware he had broken the rules. | The 37-year-old former nurse, who had been in the job since 2005, told Labour's ruling National Executive committee he was not aware he had broken the rules. |
| NEC chairman Dianne Hayter said Mr Pitt-Watson brought "a breadth of experience and will be a great asset to the party in terms of political judgment and organisational management". | NEC chairman Dianne Hayter said Mr Pitt-Watson brought "a breadth of experience and will be a great asset to the party in terms of political judgment and organisational management". |
| But for the Tories, Chris Grayling said it would create "anxiety that Gordon Brown isn't serious about the party funding issue". | |
| "Rather than appointing an independent figure, with no previous connection to political funding, he's appointed someone who's been involved in behind-the scenes-funding for Labour," he said. | |
| "This is the wrong way to go about rebuilding public confidence." |