Doug digs in

Fans of former National Union of Students president Douglas Trainer will be happy to hear he has found himself closer to the seats of power than a place on a New Deal training programme. Trainer is now working for the London company Luther Pendragon, variously labelled a PR firm with new Labour links or, Douglas's preferred title, an issues management consultancy. And what exactly does an issues management consultant do? Well, some readers may prefer the better-known term of lobbyist. Details as soon as we have them of Douglas's first clients.