Dromey to join shortlist for safe Labour seat

Jack Dromey, one of Tony Blair's closest ally in the unions, is trying to win one of the safest parliamentary seats in the country. Mr Dromey, the husband of Harriet Harman, Labour's social security spokeswoman, was defeated two years ago for the battle for the leadership of the Transport & General Workers' Union by Bill Morris.

Labour's National Executive Committee is expected today to place Mr Dromey on a shortlist for the Castleford and Pontefract constituency and critics of Tony Blair will doubtless accuse the party of "parachuting him in". The seat - where Labour won a 23,000 majority in the last election, has become vacant with the retirement of Sir Geoffrey Lofthouse, second deputy speaker in the House of Commons.