Campbell's election spin bill 'topped £10k per month'

It has emerged that spin doctor Alastair Campbell charged the Labour Party £10,000 per month plus VAT for his work on the general election campaign.

The remuneration for the former Downing Street communications director's services were revealed by the Electoral Commission watchdog on Monday amid increasing questions over the expenses of political parties.

It had been thought that he had been working for the party free of charge.

And the level of spending on his advice will raise eyebrows in Westminster and further questions over Labour's finances among left-wingers, who complained last week that the party had paid a £7,000 campaign hairdressing bill for Cherie Blair.

Campbell's bill was, pro rata, equivalent to his £120,000 government salary at the time of his resignation in September 2003.

The arch-loyalist and architect of the New Labour project has remained an occasional adviser but was brought back in full time to Labour HQ in the run-up to polling day last year and was considered responsible for the strategy of uniting Blair and chancellor Gordon Brown.

The expense details also revealed that Labour spent £530,000 on polling advice from US expert Mark Penn during the campaign.

The money for the former adviser to Democrat president Bill Clinton came on top of £140,000 given to Tony Blair's personal pollster Lord Gould.

The Conservatives spent £441,000 on controversial Australian adviser Lynton Crosby, who guided Michael Howard's 'dog whistle' strategy and hardline campaign message.

Following the revelations over Mrs Blair's hairdressing bill, it was also revealed that the Tories spent £3,600 on make-up for Howard in the campaign.