STOP PRESS: Shadow chancellor seeks press officer

Shadow chancellor of the exchequer Francis Maude is seeking his first press officer to raise his profile and provide him with media relations support on Treasury issues. Maude will be the only member of the shadow cabinet apart from party leader William Hague to have a dedicated press officer. The Conservative Party is also considering boosting its two-strong regional press team with three extra officers covering Wales, the Midlands and the South West as it prepares to fight European parliament and Welsh assembly elections next June.