COMMENT: Tories in danger of blowing target Walsall seat

Walsall North has been pinpointed by the Tories as one of three Black Country seats that can be nabbed from Labour.

And it is easy to see why, writes Peter Madeley.

Incumbent David Winnick's majority from 2015 is less than 2,000, and Labour's poll results have fallen off a cliff since then.

There is also the not-so-insignificant matter of the 68 per cent of people who voted for Brexit in the borough, going firmly against the pro-EU veteran Mr Winnick.

• MORE: Row brewing over Conservative candidate for Walsall North

The stage appears to be set for the biggest challenge yet to Mr Winnick's dominance of the seat he first won 38 years ago.

However, many of the best laid political plans have been destroyed by in-fighting.

And a major row appears to be brewing in Walsall North over the decision whether to select the candidate who lost out to Labour last time around, Douglas Hansen-Luke.

On the face of it, he should be a shoo-in for the nomination.

Mr Hansen-Luke ruffled a few feathers in Labour circles with his campaign two years ago and also built up a strong base of support.

Yet despite gaining the endorsement of local party members, Tory campaign headquarters have held back on his candidacy, and are instead said to be drawing up a shortlist of three.

Streetly councillor Eddie Hughes has emerged as a possible contender. He would make an interesting selection considering his brother Des is a Birmingham Labour councillor and a supporter of the party's mayoral candidate, Sion Simon.

With a strong candidate already chomping at the bit, it seems strange that the Tories are wasting valuable time in what is already an ultra short election campaign.

Party chiefs at CCHQ may do well to remember that while they twiddle their thumbs, Mr Winnick is already out on the campaign trail.