Labour shortlists for Wansbeck and North Tyneside
Some Labour shortlist news for North Tyneside and Wansbeck.
North Tyneside, where Stephen Byers is standing down, is another all-women shortlist.
On the list there are: Tracey Paul (Labour party official based in Tyneside), (a councillor for Battle Hill in North Tyneside), Wandsworth councillor Leonie Cooper and Arlene Ainsley (who was at one stage Labour's Regional Officer for the North).
Wansbeck was an open selection, and has produced an all-male shortlist to replace sitting MP Denis Murphy.
They are: (Labour's candidate in Hexham in 2001), (a Wansbeck party official who stood against William Hague in Richmond in 2005), (NUM president) and (a former North Tyneside councillor and teacher).
Because we're now so close to the election, the selection procedure is slightly different.
The shortlist was drawn up by a selection panel, and although there'll be a hustings (this Saturday in North Tyneside, Monday in Wansbeck), the votes will be cast locally by post.
The votes will be counted in North Tyneside next Wednesday, and in Wansbeck the day after.
The same procedure will be used to replace David Clelland in Gateshead. That will also be an open selection rather than an all-women shortlist.
Applications have to be in tomorrow, and then shortlisting will follow next week.
The Conservatives have already selected businessman in North Tyneside, and locally-born and based Conservative party worker in Wansbeck.
The Liberal Democrats have selected , and Northumberland county councillor in Wansbeck.
The is taking a closer look at the backgrounds of some of those selected to fight seats in the region this Sunday.
More of that to follow later in the week, but have also been looking at the candidates selected to replace sitting Labour and Conservative MPs.
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Public sector workers predominate in Labour ranks (22 out of 70 candidates selected), and while only a smattering of their candidates have a background in business (five out of the 70), nine out of the 36 Conservatives selected are businesspeople.
So far in the North East, local Labour parties have tended to go with the candidate with strong local connections, but we'll see if that continues as the final three selections are made.
I'm Richard Moss, the 91Èȱ¬'s Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
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