With boundary changes taking effect and direction of the political pendulum uncertain, there is a severe shortage of Labour seats available to those lefties - ahem - seeking elevation to the green benches at the next general election. This is exacerbated by the co-ordinated efforts of the cohort of Special Advisers, becoming known as the Parachute Regiment, dividing likely seats between them and preparing early for some bruising selection battles. Older MPs in particular are suddenly finding themselves being wooed by young wannabes seeking their endorsement or just confirmation of their retirement.

As you can imagine, Great Grimsby has been considered one of the hottest of such prospects. The incumbent, the inimitable Austin Mitchell, is into his seventies and has been in less than the best of health over the past year or so. Not only has the Grimsby seat been touted as a potential landing place for the unseated Normanton MP, Ed Balls, but it is said that the city has had a great deal of attention from Selby MP John Grogan, who has undertaken a quiet “chicken run” and abandoned his seat, which now has a notional Tory majority of 2,843.

You can picture the glee then with which the famously bitchy wife of Austin Mitchell, Channel 4 producer Linda MacDougall, approached Grogan at an event and told him, “I expect you know Austin has decided to stand again, which is such a shame for all those people that have been visiting in recent months”.