Brown and Blair and "the grid"

I am not sure who is advising Tony Blair but whoever suggested that he move his regular briefing so that it clashed with a speech being made by Gordon Brown deserves to be sacked. Over the last seven years the Government have tried hard (and I have to say with a huge amount of success) to manipulate the news agenda and have rigidly ensured that clashes such a the above do not occur. The press are not stupid and the clash stood out like a lighthouse on speed.
This is no way to lay the rumours to rest and the press will now be looking even harder for evidence of a feud. Of course those helpful back benchers such as Gwyneth Dunwoody have to wade in with their helpful bits of advice. Surely it would have been more helpful if she had spoken to them privately rather than via the media?