LABOUR'S slow-moving selection system could place the party at a serious disadvantage at the next general election, it is feared.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have already selected a large proportion of their candidates in the constituencies likely to be the key battlegrounds. So far, Labour has just selected one parliamentary candidate in total.
Although selections are under way in some of the seats that Labour lost in 2005, others have not even started. These include Stephen Twigg's former Enfield Southgate seat and Manchester Withington, a shock loss to the Lib Dems.
Boundary changes have made the selection process more complex. Several Labour-held seats have become more marginal, while others now have notional Conservative majorities.
A number of new constituencies have been created. Two of these, Filton & Bradley Stoke (notional Conservative majority 1,201) and Derbyshire Mid (notional Conservative majority 2,971) are Labour prospects. Labour's selection process has not begun. In Filton the Conservatives and Lib Dems have selected their candidates. A Tory is in place in Derbyshire Mid.
Before the 2005 general election, the Conservatives selected many of their candidates early and in many cases achieved good electoral results. This situation greatly helped by rich benefactors such as Lord Ashcroft who pumped large amounts of money into selected seats. With Conservative candidates in place in many Labour-held marginals and few rules governing expenditure prior to a election being called, it is feared that the next election could be skewed in the Tories' favour through their greater financial resources and long-term campaigning.
The strategy of selecting candidates in marginal constituencies before Labour-held seats where the MP is retiring may also have backfired. Many of the strongest candidates have made a conscious decision not to seek a marginal seat but instead are keeping their powder dry for when safer seats start selecting.
While the progress for selecting candidates is slow in England, the process has not even started in Scotland and Wales. These have been deferred until after next May's elections for the Scottish Parliament and Wales Assembly, making it unlikely that any selections will be completed until autumn 2007.
In Scotland, there are five seats that Labour lost in 2005. In Wales, there are five seats Labour hopes to regain and one, Arfon in north-west Wales, where redrawn boundaries give Labour a strong chance of winning the seat from the nationalists.
Meanwhile, Daniel Zeichner, a UNISON official, has been chosen to fight Cambridge. Labour lost the seat to the Lib Dems in 2005, who have a 4,300 majority.