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As we get into the final months before the General Election, some MPs are still announcing their decision to retire (quite late in the Parliament). Recently the party’s NEC decided that future selections should be decided by a “Special Selections Panel” (otherwise known as the SSP). That announcement caused consternation amongst some within the party who feared it might be used to stitch up selections.
Yesterday the SSP met to decide the selection process for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (vacated, of course, by Gordon Brown) and York Central (vacated by Hugh Bayley). York Central had been expected to be an Open selection (with male candidates already taking a look at the seat), but it was somewhat surprisingly selected as an All Woman Shortlist (AWS) – North Yorkshire has never had a female Labour MP.
Meanwhile Brown’s successor will be chosen by open shortlist.
Note: An earlier version of this post said that Kirkcaldy will be an AWS selection. The selection will in fact be from an open shortlist.
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