After catching wind of the strong rumours last night, Labour has confirmed to Guido that Hartlepool MP Mike Hill is quitting as MP.

Hill has been going through a sexual harassment complaint by a former staffer, due to go to an employment tribunal in mid-May – Guido understands the resignation is related. Labour has apparently been desperate to avoid a north east constituency by-election date on May 6th given Boris’s current vaccine bounce…

UPDATE: Sources close to the Reform Party leader, Richard Tice, say he is “actively considering the matter” of standing in the seat he fought in the 2019 general election. Labour had a majority of 3,595. The Brexit Party in the constituency got 10,603 in 2019.  The question for Tice is where will all them Brexit votes go?

UPDATE II: Dodds says the by-election will be “challenging”