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The shadow cabinet minister went on to stress that they were more optimistic: that the resilience of what is often called the world's most successful political party should never be underestimated.

There are whispers of slammed doors, and tales of one cabinet minister refusing to take notes to meetings, and answering "no" to every suggestion or remark made by officials.

Off the record, a former Labour cabinet minister strongly agrees.

Given that it had all been confirmed at short notice, the South African delegation - which includes four senior cabinet ministers - had had little time to set up a "formal programme", he said.

The former cabinet minister deploys an Aberdeen Football Club analogy to assess the situation.