CLARENCE MITCHELL, best known as the spokesman for Madeleine McCann’s parents, has been recruited for a senior job on the Tories election campaign.
The former BBC journalist will start in his new role as head of media monitoring at Conservative HQ next week.
He is not expected to be a public spokesman, but will report directly to communications chief Andy Coulson.
Mr Mitchell was head of the Government’s media monitoring unit between 2005 and 2007, before representing Liverpool-born Kate and Gerry McCann.
He has also acted as a spokesman for the parents of murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen, as well as being a consultant for Freud Communications.
He is no stranger to major stories, having dealt with a report into the death of Princess Diana and the suicide of INXS singer Michael Hutchence during his time as a BBC reporter.
Between 2003 and 2005, he covered a number of stories in Iraq.
While in Portugal, following Maddie’s disappearance in 2007, he was reportedly behind the McCanns' visit to the Pope and their tour of Spain, Germany and Morocco.
