THE winner of the race to succeed Labour Party favourite Mo Mowlam in her North-East constituency may not be known until the New Year, it was revealed last night.

Party officials in Dr Mowlam's Redcar constituency are braced for a flood of interest in replacing the Labour Minister, who is stepping down at the next General Election.

Dr Mowlam, the Cabinet Office Minister, built up a majority of more than 21,000 for Labour.

A party spokesman said last night: "It's bound to generate widespread local and national interest."

But he stressed that nothing would happen until after Labour's party conference in just over two weeks' time.

The whole process would take about three months, with the 500 or so local party members unlikely to make a decision before Christmas.

So far, former Newcastle councillor Darren Murphy, top aide to Health Secretary and Darlington MP Alan Milburn, has hinted he may be interested in the nomination.

But Redcar and Cleveland council leader David Walsh was forced to put out a press release yesterday denying continuing speculation that he could be a candidate.

''It is only 17 months since I was elected by my fellow Labour councillors to the leadership of the borough council.

''Turning round the council is a big job, and there is still a lot to do,'' said Coun Walsh, who signalled he would not be seeking "new horizons".

But Coun Walsh echoed Redcar Labour constituency chairman John McCormack's hopes that the eventual winner would be a local person, not someone brought in by national party managers.

''I would hope that the final choice will be a local candidate, committed to the area and knowing it intimately,'' said Coun Walsh