Dewar's new spin doctor quits.

Labour leaders were stunned and embarrassed last night when theparty's new Scottish communications director quit.

Paul McKinney, announced his resignation for "personalreasons".

Opposition parties seized it as proof that Labour in Scotland weremassively split and in deep trouble.

McKinney was just two months into the job after being headhuntedfrom STV by Scots Secretary Donald Dewar and Chancellor Gordon Brown.

He was to be a key player in the fight to halt the SNP advancebefore next years triple header - elections to the Scottish Parliament,local councils and the European Parliament.

Party insiders claim he believed he would be Labour's spinchief in Scotland and in the first few days he regularly appeared atDewar's side.

But within weeks he was playing second fiddle to Dewar's newpounds 74,000-a-year spin doctor David Whitton.

McKinney was already annoyed because his own salary of aroundpounds 40,000 was lower than had been originally agreed.

He was under increasing work pressure and was without the resourceshe had been promised.

He was deeply disillusioned that he had been effectively side-linedto Keir Hardie House.

The final straw was when it was revealed that Labour had poached atop civil servant, John Mclaren, to be their economics guru - on an evenbigger salary than McKinney.

He felt left out and under pressure from a six-day-week.

McKinney went out to celebrate his 33 birthday a week ago andappears to have made up his mind then to quit.

Party secretary Alex Rowley and McKinney's old boss GordonBrown spent days trying to persuade him to stay. But he quit last night.

In a statement, he said he was disappointed that he could notcontinue, but felt it was important to leave before next year'sScottish general election .

Alex Rowley said McKinney had made a "significant"contribution to the party in Scotland.

He added: "We are sorry to see him go, and on behalf of theScottish Labour party leadership I would like to thank him for hisservice and wish him well for the future."

McKinney's departure was seized upon by the SNP last night asproof that "the wheels were coming off New Labour inScotland".

SNP chief executive Mike Russell claimed: "Mr McKinney wasbrought in to try and address the SNP challenge.

"His departure shows that Labour's much-vaunted`Natbusters' campaign has fallen flat on its face.

"Labour's problem in Scotland is that they are all in aspin - with the substance of their policies decided for them by London-based ministers, and often hostile to the Scottish interest.

"The new raft of spin doctors to be led by Paul McKinney wasimposed on Labour by London and financed by London money, but it hasclearly run into insurmountable problems in Scotland."

"This is a serious blow to Labour which suggests that there issomething far wrong with the way they are operating in Scotland."

Scottish Lib-Dem leader Jim Wallace said: "Oh Dear. It seemsthat Labour's much- vaunted spin doctors are all spinning out ofcontrol.

"This really does give every appearance of a shambles.

"The Labour party must be hoping that they don't lose anymore spin doctors, because without their spin there won't be verymuch left."

Scots Tory chairman Raymond Robertson said: "The record quickdeparture of Paul McKinney bears testimony to just how nerve- racking itmust be trying to sell Labour's let downs to the people ofScotland."