Working at No 10? It's like being in a Larson cartoon, says Brown’s new guru

Gordon Brown's new Downing Street guru has shocked Labour aides by suggesting working in Downing Street is like living in a surreal and sinister cartoon world.

The Prime Minister's £137,000-a-year senior adviser, Stephen Carter, used cartoons from Gary Larson's The Far Side series when he lectured Labour officials on Friday on the need for discipline and new ideas to give Mr Brown a chance of overhauling the Tories' lead in the polls.

But some shocked aides thought the choice of images was in bad taste.

The Far Side is a series of one-panel cartoons with a dark, surreal, occasionally sick, humour often based on awkward social situations and bizarre disasters. Animals are usually cleverer than humans.

One cartoon Mr Carter featured was of a cow addressing a herd of cattle with a pantomime cow in the middle and captioned: "The revolution has been postponed . . . we've discovered a leak."

A witness said: "Stephen said people had told him everything got leaked from the Labour Party and he wanted to prove that this should not be the case."

Dour Mr Brown has often been accused of having a dark side. Former Labour spin-doctor Alastair Campbell said he had "psychological flaws".

And in January, former Labour Cabinet Minister Charles Clarke said Mr Brown was "haunted" by the memory of Tony Blair.

One of Gary Larson's cartoons, which feature on many greetings cards, shows a boggle-eyed patient on a psychiatrist's couch. On the psychiatrist's lap is a clipboard showing his notes which read: "Just plain nuts."

Mr Carter was recruited by Mr Brown in January to lead a shake-up in his Downing Street team following the on-off autumn election fiasco.

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It has led to friction between Mr Carter's Downing Street "new guard" – including former banker Jennifer Moses, advertising whizz-kid David Muir and Nick Stace of consumer group Which – and the "old guard" of Labour aides who came to No 10 with Mr Brown from the Treasury.

Ms Moses, who has had close links with the Liberal Democrats in the past, shocked Labour officials by saying she would not join the Party.

And shortly before joining No 10 in January, Mr Carter had talks with the Lib Dems about standing for London Mayor.

It has led to some Labour MPs joking – but half-seriously – about a "Lib Dem cell" in No 10.

In a further sign of the growing influence of Mr Carter, the former head of the Brunswick public relations firm appears to be ousting Cabinet Minister Douglas Alexander as Mr Brown's election supremo.

He has taken control of organising Thursday's joint launch, featuring Mr Brown and Ken Livingstone, of Labour's bid to win the London mayoral election.

Mr Carter was furious with a report last week in this paper about plans to remove Mr Brown's Commons aide, senior Labour MP Ian Austin, from the No 10 inner circle.

Mr Carter had to ring Mr Austin to assure him there was no threat to his job.

A bid to get rid of Mr Brown's long-standing Downing Street strategist Spencer Livermore appears to be succeeding.

Talks are under way with two media firms, including Brunswick, to find a job for Mr Livermore.

However, a source close to Mr Carter said: "You need to remember Stephen was brought in because people like Douglas Alexander and Spencer Livermore were held responsible for messing up the November election.

"Stephen was given a remit by the PM to bring a new team to improve the set-up. He intends to carry out that commitment."