No more Jo Moores as Byers rejects spin

Stephen Byers is to turn his back on spin by declining to recruit a replacement for his disgraced aide Jo Moore, it is claimed today.

The bruised minister, whose Transport Department was torn apart by infighting over Ms Moore's alleged bullying style, has been without a spin doctor since she was forced out in February.

The row - triggered by an email in which she said 11 September was a good day to "bury" bad news because of the coverage of the US terrorist attacks - led to the departure of several civil servant press officers.

The department is busy recruiting their replacements. However, according to the Financial Times, candidates for the jobs have been told that Ms Moore will not be replaced by another spin doctor.

Instead, Mr Byers will use the vacancy for the highly-paid post of ministerial special adviser to recruit a transport expert to offer him behind-the-scenes help on policy.

Under the new arrangement the briefing of journalists will be left to the civil servant head of the department's press office - the role held by Martin Sixsmith until he was ousted on the same day as Ms Moore.

Mr Sixsmith is still disputing the claim by Mr Byers that he resigned.

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