Decent Labour members are kicking off in York after Unite’s NHS agitator Rachael Maskell won a bitter selection battle to inherit Hugh Bayley’s seat. Local party members say Maskell was parachuted in ahead of several local candidates, accusing her of being a Unite puppet who lived in London until only a few weeks ago. Concerns are also being raised about her alleged involvement in a “smear campaign” against her opponent in another selection, in the Erith seat in 2009. At the time the respected New Labour godfather Philip Gould claimed his 22 year-old daughter was the victim of an “outrageous and unacceptable” campaign to undermine her. Maskell was fighting for the seat with the helpful backing of Brownite bootboy Charlie Whelan. The hustings were then mysteriously called off after a ballot box was tampered with. With the Greens heavily targeting York Central, Maskell will need all the help she can get defending that 6,000 majority…