David Prescott, son of former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, has failed in his latest bid to become a Labour MP - after grassroots group Momentum backed a rival candidate.
Prescott, who works as an aide to Jeremy Corbyn, was not included on the shortlist for the key battleground seat of Mansfield, despite winning the unofficial support of some in the party leadership, several trade unions and two local branches.
Instead, local councillor Sonya Ward, who won the strong support of Mansfield Momentum and other groups, went through to the final shortlist and is now seen as the favourite to win the much-sought after selection.
Other contenders included on the final list are solicitor Neil Clayton, the GMB-backed Melanie Darrington, and Peter Roberts, sources told HuffPost UK.
Mansfield was won by Tory Ben Bradley in the 2017 general election, the first time Labour had lost the seat since the 1920s.
Prescott, who lives nearby the East Midlands seat, issued a Facebook post in which he said he was “obviously disappointed” but thanked unions Unite, CWU and the Co-Op Party for supporting his nomination.
“I promise to do all I can to help Labour win back Mansfield,” he said.
Prescott, who has in previous years tried to win the Labour nomination in Alan Johnson’s Hull West seat, will continue working for the Labour leader in London.
The Guardian reported this month that he lost the support of the GMB union after unspecified allegations of inappropriate conduct were made against him.
He was suspended from his role in Corbyn’s office communications team in November, but returned to his role just a fortnight later.
Prescott’s father John was Deputy Prime Minister under Tony Blair.