That’s the myth they’d like you to believe, that Blaenau Gwent CLP was dictated to by London. In fact, the decision to go with AWS in a proportion of seats being vacated by sitting MPs was taken by party conference, to which all CLPs get delegates, and confirmed by the NEC, elected by members, MPs and trade unions. LP democracy isn’t perfect, but this one happened through the correct channels.

Now, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the practice of cosying up to a sitting MP over a number of years so that you become the favoured successor, as Peter Law did, is wrong, excludes women from getting selected and should be stamped out.

But beyond my views on AWS, whatever happened to loyalty? How dare he stand against the Labour Party after being a member for so long, over such a relatively trivial issue? Be cross, yes, be furious, yes (though personally I’d be crosser if I had a candidate from No. 10 imposed at three weeks’ notice, as had one of the Wolverhampton seats this time and St Helens South last time) but leave the LP and stand against the official candidate after 20-odd years membership and lose Labour their hard-won majority in the Welsh Asembly over it too? Over-reaction, just a little, I think.

PS - maybe I’d have a little more respect if he’d left and run a principled leftwing campaign against Labour on the issues, like Iraq and civil liberties - but he didn’t - he just whipped up feeling on the selection issue. Disgraceful.