Michael Dugher appointed Labour Party Vice Chair

Michael Dugher MP has been appointed Labour Party Vice Chair with responsibility for Communications strategy, says Vincent Moss:

Excl: @ed_miliband has told Labour MPs he’s appointed @michaeldughermp as Labour vice-chair in charge of comms. strategy

— Vincent Moss (@vincentmoss) November 8, 2012

Dugher is also a member of the shadow cabinet (without portfolio), and is often used in an “attack” role by the party – so this new role isn’t too much of a surprise, considering his experience as a media adviser in Number 10 under Gordon Brown. Effectively this formalises the role that Dugher has been filling over the last year.

Update: A Labour source tells us that “Ed wanted some strategic shadow cabinet level” thinking on comms. This is part of a “beefing up” of Labour’s comms team and expanding the reach. However Dugher has had this role for a while already, it seems, and the consensus is that this is a formalising of his existing role.