While Guido was busy scoping out whether Richard Tice plans on standing in the forthcoming Hartlepool by-election, it seems a Labour frontrunner is also on manoeuvres. Former Stockton South MP Dr Paul Williams lost his seat in 2019 – and is already standing as Labour’s Teesside police and crime commissioner candidate – however sharp-eyed MP Jacob Young spotted pro-second referendum tweets mysteriously being deleted from Williams’ account:

DT Dr Paul Williams MP: This is Fake News! I’ve been inside the room for most of these discussions. We’re just working out the best strateg… https://t.co/siBYf8D9D6 https://t.co/x4N1iWfr2q

— Tweets MPs Delete (@deletedbyMPs) March 16, 2021

Hartlepool voted 70% to leave, and would have likely swung Tory in 2019 had it not been for Richard Tice splitting the Leave vote between the Brexit Party and the Tories. Williams will have quite a few more tweets to erase his way through before going down well in Hartlepool. Luckily for Dr Paul, Redcar MP Jacob has provided a handy go-to thread of other suggestions ripe for deletion…