Labour is "scrambling" to inject new momentum into its election campaign following fresh reports of spits at the top, says the FT.

Alan Milburn has denied claims that the chancellor has been sidelined from Labour's election campaign.

The party's election co-ordinator made the comments after reports that Gordon Brown was "going it alone" on the campaign trail.

It was reported at the weekend that last minute arrangements had to be made for both Tony Blair and the chancellor to make simultaneous announcements last Friday on the increase in the minimum wage.

While the prime minister detailed the policy in Downing Street, Brown was making the same pledge at a press conference in Edinburgh.

However, Milburn denied there had been any rift over the issue.

"The announcement was made on Friday at Gordon's suggestion. We made it at a meeting I had with Gordon, with the prime minister, with Ian McCartney and John Prescott," he said.

Meanwhile, in a bid to focus on Labour's economic achievements, Brown will this week deliver three keynote speeches stressing the impact of global economic competition.

Labour's campaign also comes under fire in the Telegraph, which reports that more than 80 Whitehall advisers could work on the party's re-election bid while still being paid by the taxpayer.