Readers will remember how, just weeks before the election, Tom Watson diverted campaign resources away from key marginals in a doomed attempt to oust Nick Clegg. Now Labour’s loser candidate Oliver Coppard is running again in the Hillsborough by-election. That’ll go down well with Labour MPs who lost their seats while Coppard and Watson wasted resources on a humiliating vanity project.

Guido has the selection timetable:

Thurs 18 Feb: Applications open.

Wed 24 Feb 12noon: Close applications

Mon 29 Feb: Short-listing interviews.

Wed 2 Mar: Selection meeting in Sheffield.

Labour are inheriting a 14,000 majority from the late Harry Harpham. Even Coppard couldn’t throw that away…