David Cameron's new spin doctor and his tax avoidance plan

David Cameron's new chief spin doctor runs a legal tax "avoidance" scheme to manage the £150,000-a-year earnings of his television presenter wife.

Boss of the BBC World Service, Craig Oliver was the Prime Minister's surprise choice to take over the running of the Downing Street publicity machine last week Photo: REX

By Jason Lewis, Investigations Editor 9:00PM GMT 05 Feb 2011

The arrangement, which may have helped the couple save more than £100,000 in tax, is similar to those recently criticised by the Prime Minister as a "problem" for the British economy.

The disclosure is set to embarrass the new Downing Street Head of Communications days after he was appointed as a "safe pair of hands" to replace Andy Coulson, the controversial former News of the World editor, in the £140,000-a-year post.

The little-known boss of the BBC World Service, Craig Oliver was the Prime Minister's surprise choice to take over the running of the Downing Street publicity machine last week.

A former editor of the BBC Ten O'Clock News, the 41-year-old has also held senior positions at ITV.

But it is his role helping to manage the finances of his more famous wife, Joanna Gosling, 40, that is now set to bring his appointment under scrutiny.