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The Tories stepped up their allegations that Labour has

"politicised" the Government's advertising this week by claiming that

Alastair Campbell had taken overall control of its campaigns.

John Bercow, the shadow chief treasury secretary, seized on the decision

to give Carol Fisher, the chief executive of COI Communications, a new

role co-ordinating government campaigns in which she will report to

Campbell, Number 10's director of communications and strategy.

The Opposition said Campbell, a special adviser allowed to carry out

party-political tasks, should not oversee COI, which is politically

neutral.

Bercow said: "Alastair Campbell has shoved aside career civil servants

and is saying that 'in future, all communication and publicity campaigns

will be directed by me'. That is a complete breach of the normal

procedures that are designed to uphold the impartiality of Whitehall and

the neutrality of civil servants."

Christopher Leslie, the Cabinet Office minister responsible for COI,

replied: "Alastair Campbell makes sure government communication

activities are properly co-ordinated." Leslie added that it made sense

for Fisher to ensure government campaigns did not overlap or chase the

same slots.