Labour's Kevin McKeever will be back to run for Northampton South seat despite criticism of party leader

Kevin McKeever, who lost out to Conservative MP David Mackintosh in 2015 by just over 3,000 votes, has been selected to challenge the seat again by the central party.

Last year the PR director became the subject of death threats after left-wing website the Canary alleged he had been involved in an attempted coup to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn as leader.

He denied the allegations, though he has openly spoken about his opposition to Mr Corbyn on previous occasions.

In a video blog posted in July last year, Mr McKeever, said: “The Labour Party has to be united around a credible candidate to be a Prime Minister and to form a government

“In my view that’s not Jeremy Corbyn."

The blog was criticised by union members from ASLEF and the CWU in Northampton.

It is not yet known which Conservative party candidate Mr Mckeever will be running against after incumbent MP David Mackintosh sensationally resigned last week, amid the ongoing scrutiny of his role in the £10.25 million loan to Sixfields.

Former MP Sally Keeble has been selected to fight for Labour in the Northampton North seat, though she refused to be drawn on whether she supported Jeremy Corbyn in interviews with the Chronicle & Echo and the BBC last month.

Labour has also announced that elsewhere in Northamptonshire Andrea Watts will challenge for the Wellingborough seat, Sophie Johnson will challenge for South Northamptonshire, Beth Miller will stand in Corby, Aiden Ramsey will run in Daventry and current county councillor Mick Scrimshaw will run in Kettering.