The campaign for the September 30 Hartlepool by-election to pick a successor to former Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson was launched by Labour in the Commons today.
The party's business managers moved the writ for the key contest in the run-up to a possible General Election next May.
Mr Mandelson, who has quit Parliament to become a European Commissioner, had a 14,571 majority at the 2001 General Election.
Result: Mandelson (Lab) 22,506 (59.15%), Robinson (C) 7,935 (20.85%), Boddy (LD) 5,717 (15.02%), Scargill (Socialist Lab) 912 (2.40%), Cameron (Ind) 557 (1.46%), Booth (Ind) 424 (1.11%). Turnout 56.25%.
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