UPDATED 14.35 HOURS MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2007
JUSTINE MCGUINNESS, the public face of the Madeleine campaign over the past three months, has finished working for Kate and Gerry McCann.
Commenting on her departure on Saturday, Gerry McCann said: “Kate and I would like to thank Justine for all her hard work over the past 89 days, commitment and professionalism. We will remain friends and wish her all the best in the future.”
The 37-year-old former Lib Dem parliamentary candidate, who finished second to Conservative MP Oliver Letwin in the race for the West Dorset seat in the 2005 General Election, was selected by the McCanns via a headhunter.
She was chosen for the position because of her background in politics and was paid wha6t has been described as a notional salary from funds raised by the Find Madeleine campaign.
She has acted as the McCanns’ personal spokeswoman and organised events to keep the hunt for Madeleine in the public eye.
These have included numerous interviews and photocalls plus Gerry McCann’s fact finding visit to Washington DC in the US in July.
Before her arrival in Praia da Luz, the McCanns’ media handling was run by a team from the British Government.
To help the family cope with the enormous level of interest in the early days of Madeleine’s disappearance, Sheree Dodd, a former Daily Mirror journalist, was sent to Portugal by the Foreign Office.
Then Clarence Mitchell, an ex-BBC news presenter now working as a senior government spin doctor became the voice of the McCanns.
David Hughes who was recently appointed to help Justine and whom was constantly at their side durting the coiple’s last few weeks in the Algarve, acted as Kate and Gerry McCann’s spokesperson over the weekend and on Monday this week.
A statement from the McCann camp on Monday said it is anticipated that a new spokesman will be announced shortly.
