By . Matt Chorley and Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 18 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:54 EST, 19 November 2012 . 'Bonkers': Mayor Boris Johnson, pictured today before a speech to business leaders, told his team the PM would be 'bonkers' not to hire Lynton Crosby . David Cameron’s new election guru has again been cast into the spotlight after it was claimed he branded Boris Johnson’s closest aides ‘****wits’ as he guided him to a second mayoral victory. An explosive new book about Boris Johnson’s campaign alleges Lynton Crosby - brought in by the Prime Minister to rejuvenate the Conservative's election prospects - launched the foul-mouthed and withering rant during his time at City Hall. The latest damaging allegations come as Labour today demanded the Prime Minister investigate claims recently appointed Mr Crosby launched an expletive-laden verbal assault about Muslims. The timing of claims by Mr Johnson's former political director, Alex Crowley, in his book Victory in London, are likely to prove uncomfortable for Conservative hierarchy. Yesterday it emerged he once claims the Mayor should concentrate on winning support from traditional Tories, not ‘****ing Muslims’. Labour frontbencher Michael Dugher today wrote to the PM calling for Mr Crosby to make a public statement about the claims. Yesterday Mr Crosby, whose tactics helped to win four elections for former Australian prime minister John Howard, said he had absolutely no recollection of using the phrase and that any suggestion he was racist was ‘mischievous’. But in his letter to Mr Cameron, Mr Dugher says: 'Mr Crosby has been given the opportunity to deny using these words, and has refused to do so.' The Labour party vice-chairman calls on Mr Cameron to 'fully investigate the claims that Mr Crosby used such appalling language against Muslims'. If true he should 'refuse to give someone with such views a role in your Party'. ‘I hope you agree that there can be no place for racist attitudes or language such as this in any modern political party,' Mr Dugher adds. Crosby, known as the ‘Wizard of Oz’ for masterminding multiple election victories in his native Australia, has been hired to focus on winning back core Conservative voters over the next two-and-a-half years. The appointment is intended to rejuvenate the party after its crushing defeat in the Corby by-election on Friday, and record low turnout in the police and crime commissioner elections. But some in the party fear Mr Crosby, who has a reputation as a right-wing attack dog, will alienate floating voters by taking a hard line on divisive issues such as crime and immigration, which backfired when he ran the 2005 election campaign of then Tory leader Michael Howard. Victory: London Mayor Boris Johnson with his then campaign manager Lynton Crosby on the Mayoral Election results night in 2012 . Former deputy party chairman Lord . Ashcroft warned he was a ‘distracting influence’ and a recipe for . ‘conflict and confusion’ while Mr Cameron’s former speechwriter Ian . Birrell said hiring him was a ‘regressive step’. But . Mr Johnson, whose two successful London mayoral campaigns were run by . Mr Crosby, has been urging the Prime Minister to snap him up, saying he . is ‘the best campaign manager I’ve ever seen’. Election: Mr Crosby will start work for PM David Cameron early next year. Critics worry about his reputation as a 'right wing attack dog' A . Treasury source said George Osborne – Mr Cameron’s election strategist . in 2010 – had been pushing for his appointment for months. The . source said: ‘George has always argued for this. It was George who got . Lynton into the Boris campaign in the first place and we need a . dedicated campaign manager.’ Mr Crosby will start work as campaign . manager early next year, initially part time, and it is understood he . will focus on day-to-day planning, while the Prime Minister and the . Chancellor will remain in control of policy and strategy. He is said to be on a salary of £200,000. Polls over the weekend gave Labour a  12-point lead, following the Tories’ loss of Corby – a key middle England seat vacated by Louise Mensch – to Labour’s Andy Sawford on a swing of nearly 13 per cent, and concerns expressed by backbenchers about a lack of focus in No 10. Tim Montgomerie, editor of influential website ConservativeHome, said Mr Crosby had ‘a good record of success and is perhaps the alpha male that Team Cameron has been missing since Andy Coulson exited’. Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps praised him as a ‘serious campaigner’. He added: ‘Lynton brings the kind of focus that’s required to manage campaigns and we have a big job to do to explain what’s going on.’ After the collapse of plans for boundary changes, the Conservatives will target 40 seats, half of which are held by their Lib  Dem coalition partners, in 2015. Mr Shapps said: ‘I don’t really mind who the opposition is. We need to win those seats if we are going to form the next government and have an outright majority and do some of the things this country desperately needs.’ Boris Johnson said he did not recognise ‘any suggestion of abusive or offensive language’ from his staff and that the Conservative party had ‘done well to retain [Mr Crosby’s] services’.
Cameron faces call to investigate claims his new election guru Lynton Crosby ranted about Muslims when advising Boris .
Australian Crosby was dubbed the Wizard of Oz for a string of election successes, including Boris Johnson's .
David Cameron has hired him to run 2015 general election campaign .
But Labour is demanding an investigation into claims Crosby made foul-mouthed comments about Muslim voters during City Hall bid .
By . Matt Chorley and Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 18 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:54 EST, 19 November 2012 . 'Bonkers': Mayor Boris Johnson, pictured today before a speech to business leaders, told his team the PM would be 'bonkers' not to hire Lynton Crosby . David Cameron’s new election guru has again been cast into the spotlight after it was claimed he branded Boris Johnson’s closest aides ‘****wits’ as he guided him to a second mayoral victory. An explosive new book about Boris Johnson’s campaign alleges Lynton Crosby - brought in by the Prime Minister to rejuvenate the Conservative's election prospects - launched the foul-mouthed and withering rant during his time at City Hall. The latest damaging allegations come as Labour today demanded the Prime Minister investigate claims recently appointed Mr Crosby launched an expletive-laden verbal assault about Muslims. The timing of claims by Mr Johnson's former political director, Alex Crowley, in his book Victory in London, are likely to prove uncomfortable for Conservative hierarchy. Yesterday it emerged he once claims the Mayor should concentrate on winning support from traditional Tories, not ‘****ing Muslims’. Labour frontbencher Michael Dugher today wrote to the PM calling for Mr Crosby to make a public statement about the claims. Yesterday Mr Crosby, whose tactics helped to win four elections for former Australian prime minister John Howard, said he had absolutely no recollection of using the phrase and that any suggestion he was racist was ‘mischievous’. But in his letter to Mr Cameron, Mr Dugher says: 'Mr Crosby has been given the opportunity to deny using these words, and has refused to do so.' The Labour party vice-chairman calls on Mr Cameron to 'fully investigate the claims that Mr Crosby used such appalling language against Muslims'. If true he should 'refuse to give someone with such views a role in your Party'. ‘I hope you agree that there can be no place for racist attitudes or language such as this in any modern political party,' Mr Dugher adds. Crosby, known as the ‘Wizard of Oz’ for masterminding multiple election victories in his native Australia, has been hired to focus on winning back core Conservative voters over the next two-and-a-half years. The appointment is intended to rejuvenate the party after its crushing defeat in the Corby by-election on Friday, and record low turnout in the police and crime commissioner elections. But some in the party fear Mr Crosby, who has a reputation as a right-wing attack dog, will alienate floating voters by taking a hard line on divisive issues such as crime and immigration, which backfired when he ran the 2005 election campaign of then Tory leader Michael Howard. Victory: London Mayor Boris Johnson with his then campaign manager Lynton Crosby on the Mayoral Election results night in 2012 . Former deputy party chairman Lord . Ashcroft warned he was a ‘distracting influence’ and a recipe for . ‘conflict and confusion’ while Mr Cameron’s former speechwriter Ian . Birrell said hiring him was a ‘regressive step’. But . Mr Johnson, whose two successful London mayoral campaigns were run by . Mr Crosby, has been urging the Prime Minister to snap him up, saying he . is ‘the best campaign manager I’ve ever seen’. Election: Mr Crosby will start work for PM David Cameron early next year. Critics worry about his reputation as a 'right wing attack dog' A . Treasury source said George Osborne – Mr Cameron’s election strategist . in 2010 – had been pushing for his appointment for months. The . source said: ‘George has always argued for this. It was George who got . Lynton into the Boris campaign in the first place and we need a . dedicated campaign manager.’ Mr Crosby will start work as campaign . manager early next year, initially part time, and it is understood he . will focus on day-to-day planning, while the Prime Minister and the . Chancellor will remain in control of policy and strategy. He is said to be on a salary of £200,000. Polls over the weekend gave Labour a 12-point lead, following the Tories’ loss of Corby – a key middle England seat vacated by Louise Mensch – to Labour’s Andy Sawford on a swing of nearly 13 per cent, and concerns expressed by backbenchers about a lack of focus in No 10. Tim Montgomerie, editor of influential website ConservativeHome, said Mr Crosby had ‘a good record of success and is perhaps the alpha male that Team Cameron has been missing since Andy Coulson exited’. Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps praised him as a ‘serious campaigner’. He added: ‘Lynton brings the kind of focus that’s required to manage campaigns and we have a big job to do to explain what’s going on.’ After the collapse of plans for boundary changes, the Conservatives will target 40 seats, half of which are held by their Lib  Dem coalition partners, in 2015. Mr Shapps said: ‘I don’t really mind who the opposition is. We need to win those seats if we are going to form the next government and have an outright majority and do some of the things this country desperately needs.’ Boris Johnson said he did not recognise ‘any suggestion of abusive or offensive language’ from his staff and that the Conservative party had ‘done well to retain [Mr Crosby’s] services’.
'bonkers' not to hire Lynton Crosby . David Cameron’s new election guru has again been cast explosive new book about Boris Johnson’s campaign election prospects - launched the foul-mouthed and withering rant during his time at City Hall. claims recently appointed Mr Crosby launched an ‘****ing Muslims’. Labour frontbencher Michael ‘Wizard of Oz’ for masterminding multiple was a ‘regressive step’. But . Mr Johnson, whose