HEADLINES:

The selection battle for one of Labour's safest London seats entered its final day today amid fresh controversy.

The contest for Erith and Thamesmead, triggered by the decision of Leftwinger John Austin to stand down at the next election, has been delayed after interference with postal votes prompted a re-run of the race earlier this year.

A Labour official said an inquiry into ballot tampering — which has found no evidence of any of the candidates' involvement — would continue after the selection vote to be held in secrecy at a church hall in Erith tomorrow.

The official also commented on claims candidate Georgia Gould, the 22-year-old daughter of Tony Blair's former pollster Lord Gould, was getting an unfair advantage. Lord Gould recently raised eyebrows at Labour HQ at an election strategy meeting, attended by Cabinet minister Douglas Alexander, when he said Ms Gould would make an excellent candidate.

Mr Alexander, the election co-ordinator, joked: “I'm not sure you should be saying that here, Philip.” Howard Dawber, the Labour Parliamentary candidate in a neighbouring seat, came under fire when he appeared to back Ms Gould in a local newspaper.

To head off accusations of bias, the party has agreed to a shortlist of eight, including local candidate Teresa Pearce, former MP Melanie Johnson and charity worker Emily Bird. Even by Labour standards, the contest for Erith and Thamesmead is particularly bitter. Labour's London region triggered the first criticism by taking control of the race from the local party.

The seat, with a notional majority of nearly 10,000, is one of the party's few safe seats. Supporters of Ms Gould, who would become the second youngest woman MP in history if she wins, say she has been subjected to negative campaigning from Leftwingers.

A Labour official said: “It is up to the members of Erith and Thamesmead to decide their Labour candidate. It's not up to other Parliamentary candidates, or the regional party.” The official also stressed that Lord Gould's remarks had no bearing on the contest and were not intended as such.