It looks like Labour is once again building a shortlist of one for an upcoming by-election, with Kim Leadbeater currently the only person in the running for Labour’s candidacy in the Batley & Spen contest later this summer. Clearly learning the wrong lessons from their attempted coronation of Dr. Paul in Hartlepool…

Leadbeater – who only became a member of the party a few weeks ago – claims she has ‘never really seen [herself] as a political animal’, yet has nonetheless been thrust to the front of the pack, with councillors Shabir Pandor and Salma Arif both ruling themselves out following Leadbeater’s announcement. Nominations only opened yesterday, and close at 5pm this afternoon…

LabourList’s Sienna Rodgers also claims that Labour is expected to ‘waive the membership issue‘ to allow Leadbeater to stand despite her recent entry to the party, with members casting their votes on Sunday. Labour knows what it’s doing here: running the sister of Jo Cox in her own former seat is no accident, though rushing her into the candidacy so openly might raise some eyebrows…