by Chris McLaughlin

A “CRUNCH” meeting of Labour officials was scheduled to take place today (Friday April 25) in an attempt to get to the bottom of whether newly-appointed general secretary David Pitt-Watson intends to take up the post.

The City businessman and former assistant general secretary has been once again been invited to attend in person to explain when, or whether, he plans to take up the job he was appointed to seven weeks ago.

Party chair Dianne Hayter and head office staff had been attempting to keep the meeting “as secret as possible”, according to one National Executive Commitee member informed of it by Tribune, because of Mr Pitt-Watson’s failure to provide definitive answers about the timing of his starting date.

Since his appointment, Mr Pitt-Watson has missed three officers’ meetings and at least two business board meetings and has communicated only to confirm that he had not given notice to his present employer. A rumour was started this week to the effect that he had now formally resigned, but this was greeted with scepticism and seen as just the latest of a series of devices designed to give the impression that Mr Pitt-Watson is still interested in the post.

Speculation is growing that he no longer wants the job because of the financial liabilities that would fall on himself and his family. One option under consideration is to turn the Labour Party into a public limited company. Gordon Brown is reported to be keen not to suffer the humiliation of losing Mr Pitt-Watson after championing his candidacy so strongly.

One option being canvassed, and which is gaining support among NEC members, is that there should be a joint general secretaryship, split between responsibility for finance and organisation. That would relieve Mr Pitt-Watson of the organisational brief and allow him to concentrate on sorting out the party’s finances, which is Mr Brown’s primary concern.