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Some more selection news as Labour and the Liberal Democrats have both been filling gaps in their list of candidates.

The Lib Dems have selected as their candidate in Newcastle East.

That was the vacancy caused by Greg Stone's resignation at the start of the year.

I don't think she'll be quite as active on the net (!) but she will need to get up and running quickly to stand a chance of beating . The Conservative candidate is .

Labour have also picked their candidate to succeed Stephen Byers in North Tyneside.

It's local councillor . The 53-year-old from Wallsend is a councillor in Battle Hill.

Once again the party went for the most local candidate from the all-woman shortlist - this time in a postal ballot.

It's pure supposition, but it does strike me that local Labour parties are responding to the expenses scandal by choosing candidates who are very much rooted in their communities.

I suppose that does make you wonder where the North East's next Blairs and Milibands are coming from though.

Mary Glindon will be contesting the seat with for the Conservatives and .

Labour will also announce its candidate for Wansbeck today.

The National Union of Mineworkers' President Ian Lavery - another with impeccable local qualifications - is expected to win.

The rest of the shortlist is Paul Brannen (Labour's candidate in Hexham in 2001), Neil Foster (a Wansbeck party official), and Ian Grayson (a former North Tyneside councillor and teacher).

Meanwhile, I'm off to see three of our retiring MPs in Westminster today. I wonder what advice they'll have for their successors. More of that on this Sunday.

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