Tories poach businessman who led Labour's drive on Whitehall waste

Tories today ambushed Gordon Brown by luring his favourite efficiency guru to work for them.

Sir Peter Gershon, the business chief who wrote the Prime Minister's 2004 review to identify Whitehall waste, will join a Conservative advisory board.

The chairman of Tate and Lyle was the first chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce and spent 30 years in industry, including at the helm of British Aerospace.

Another member will be Bernard Gray, a former Ministry of Defence adviser who has undertaken two major reviews under Labour, including one that found massive waste in defence procurement.

Other members include Lord [Peter] Levene, chairman of Lloyds and General Dynamics UK, who served as the Prime Minister's adviser on efficiency and effectiveness; and Dr Martin Read, the Logica chief executive, who led the Treasury's operational efficiency review.

Between them, they masterminded all four of the most recent high-profile reviews on efficiency and waste under Labour. As members of the shadow public services productivity advisory board, they will report to Philip Hammond, the shadow chief secretary.