The Rochdale Constituency Labour Party have chosen the leader of Lancashire County Council Labour group to fight the Rochdale by-election sparked by the death of sitting MP Sir Tony Lloyd. Councillor Azhar Ali had been named on a shortlist of three to succeed Sir Tony who died on January 17 aged 73, alongside Rochdale-born Paul Waugh, chief political commentator for the i newspaper, and Wigan councillor Nazia Rehman. Waugh was hotly tipped by LOTO aides for the seat and was perceived as the preferred candidate of Starmer…

The risk for Waugh was that if he didn’t win, his renewed membership of the Labour Party would leave him open to the charge of “client journalist” if he returns to his day job at the i. His presenting job on Radio 4’s “The Week in Westminster” is surely now untenable. No doubt there will be speculation in the coming days that he could instead of returning to journalism instead go on to take an election year party position spinning for Starmer with the hope of perhaps a future government communications role. He did say yesterday that “For me, it’s time to stop being a spectator and start being a player…”

Now the other parties have to select their candidates as Labour is expected to call the writ for the safe seat soon soon. The banter outcome would be for Sebastian Payne to finally get selected as a candidate…