Former Labour Minister Frank Dobson is complaining to May2015 about house prices in his constituency:

“In the last few years, prices have become quite lunatic – how could a bus driver or a Post Office worker live in the area? It’s become insane. When I started off as an MP, I knew a nurse wouldn’t be able to afford a family-sized flat, then a junior doctor, and now a consultant. The whole thing is simply insane.”

The problem is not helped by a shortage of council housing in London. Perhaps it’s time for Frank to finally move out of his own council flat that he pays just £160 a week to rent, despite decades on the public teat. 

Anyway. In July Dobson announced that, aged 74, he was standing down in 2015. Keir “Darcy” Starmer, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, has let it be known he wants to be Holborn’s next MP and as Guido reported at the time, he’s the firm favourite.

One small problem – he only joined the Labour Party last November and under the rules candidates for parliament must have been a member for a year.

For a friend of Ed this can be fixed – Labour HQ have delayed the selection process until next month, when Kier will have been a member for the required 12 months.