Damian McBride, nicknamed “Damian McPoison” by Blairites, attacked Sky Television for inviting Stephen Byers, the former cabinet minister, to provide commentary on Brown’s statement on the economy.

“I hear that you’ve got S Byers on tmrw for your before and after coverage of the PBR,” wrote McBride, in an e-mail sent on Tuesday. “Out of interest, who do you have on for Labour? Seriously — I think this is the 2nd or 3rd of these post-GB (Gordon Brown) events when someone like Byers or (Alan) Milburn has been on your programme as the ‘Labour’ panellist, which is a bit like having Shaun Woodward on to speak for the Tories, or Norman Scott’s dog for the Liberals.”

The disdain with which he dismisses Byers and Milburn, who are close to No 10, is sure to irritate the Blair camp. Woodward is regarded as a turncoat by the Tories for defecting to Labour in 1999. Scott, a former male model, was at the centre of a scandal in the 1970s after he claimed to have had a homosexual relationship with Jeremy Thorpe, then Liberal leader.

McBride went on in his e-mail: “Is there any chance of having some balance on these panels — so if you insist on having this two-man band of self-proclaimed ‘ultras’ on your panels, can you at least put on another MP alongside them who actually represents anything close to the mainstream of the Labour party?” Brown poached McBride in 2003 from his job as head of Vat strategy at Customs and Excise to be head of communications at the Treasury. In 2005 McBride gave up his civil servant status to be Brown’s special adviser.

The leak showing Brown’s “spin” operation follows heavy criticism of the pre-budget report for manipulation of the facts.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent think tank, said the chancellor had increased taxes by £6 billion since the election, despite saying then that no new taxes were needed. Economists calculate that the tax burden has risen by nearly £50 billion since 1997, equivalent to £2,000 for each household over that period.

The chancellor’s announcement of tens of billions of extra spending for schools was just a rehash of his promises in the March budget, the experts said. The only new money amounted to £20 per pupil.

Brown was also criticised by the airlines and the green lobby for raising £1 billion by doubling air passenger duty and dressing it up as an environmental move. The government’s own research suggested that raising the duty would have little impact on the environment. Brown also provoked an outcry by changing rules he introduced eight months ago that would have allowed people to pass on their pensions to their children.

The Tories said the e-mail showed Brown’s leadership was tainted with spin. Hugo Swire, shadow secretary for culture, media and sport, said: “This is quite extraordinary and shows a crass attempt at manipulation. It shows that the control freakery hasn’t gone away. It doesn’t bode well for the future. It’s like those bad old days of Peter Mandelson. Does Gordon Brown really feel so vulnerable and open to criticism that he cannot cope with Byers or Milburn?”

A spokesman for Sky Television said Byers was a substitute panellist after Geoffrey Robinson, the former paymaster general, withdrew at the last minute. Stephen Timms, the chief secretary to the treasury, also appeared. “We have not had any viewer complaints,” the spokesman added.

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