Guido is hearing rumours that the bun-fight has already begun to be the Labour candidate in the Oldham by-election and soundings are well underway. One well-placed-red says Shona Woodfine, who has been Phil’s long-suffering bag-carrier, is positively gagging for the nomination. And has made that clear to the party machine…

This wouldn’t be the first time Labour have made such a move, the “Baby of the House” Pamela Nash, who is just 26, took over John Reid’s safe seat having been his special advisor. Woodfine’s chances have to be weakened by her closeness to her disgraced former boss, she was presumably in the campaign office when these leaflets were going out. Apparently that’s not what she is saying though…

UPDATE : Can you read between the ambiguous lines of this Tweet she sent just after this story went up: