Labour have blocked star Unite candidate Karie Murphy from the selection shortlist in Halifax. Murphy, the controversial activist embroiled in the Falkirk fix scandal, is a very close friend of Len McClusky. She confirms:

“I am disappointed that the Labour Party advised the media of my exclusion from the selection list more than three hours before they informed me. It is a credit that the shortlist is made up of so many local women, this is a new and welcome precedent for the Labour Party but it’s regrettable it wasn’t applied more rigorously in the past.”

The weekend papers reported that Tony Blair organised a dinner last week to arrange for a £500,000 donation from Assem Allam, in the event that Unite carry out their threat to pull some of their funding if Murphy was not selected. Guido is sure that Labour’s left-wing grassroots will be extremely grateful for his help in severing that particular union link.

Len is already kicking off:

Senior Unite people angry re Harriet Harman role in blocking Karie Murphy in Halifax. "I assume she was forced into this," says one source

— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) March 16, 2015

Kind Mr Tony and his helpful friends to have stiffened Miliband’s resolve with cash. Money, as ever, talks…