New Labour, new media, new message?

The spin doctors allowed a hint of red at the launch of Labour's new media centre yesterday - but the symbolic hue was mainly found around the necks of some of the Shadow Cabinet. The 20,000 square feet, super hi-tech centre, at Millbank Tower in central London, will house Labour's "instant response" rebuttal unit, campaign project units, key seats unit, and election "war room", staffed by a team of more than 100.

Facilities at the centre include state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, satellite and Internet links, flat screen video walls and fibre- optic links to broadcasters "throughout the world". Tony Blair (centre), John Prescott (second right), Robin Cook (left), Tom Sawyer (second left) and Gordon Brown (in praying pose) will be based at the centre during the next election campaign. And yes - amid the technological hardware there was even some policy as well. Blair's risky course, page 5