The problem is that bar a very privileged few, the BBC’s politics programmes don’t really want to know about new MPs until they’ve become somthing more important. In the old days, Westminster Live would interview something like 3 MPs from each party per programme and give a lot of opportunity for newcomers to make their mark on the TV.

Unfortunately, the new BBC format usually has a resident guest on each programme that is usually an established well known politician or frontbencher and then they only ask one or two MPs to come on each programme for a specific segmant (usually the usual suspects).

Question Time is no place for new MPs (again, bar a select few who seem to be picked out as rising stars or the awkward squad); This Week (which is otherwise an excellent programme) is more interested in the commetariat or celebrity and politics; and there isn’t really much else excpet perhaps an interview on Newsnight or one of the radio or other channel news programmes.

In my experience, the best place to see new MPs is actually on the Sunday Politics Show-specifically the local regional segment when you will see many newly elected MPs from around your local region…at least, you do in the West Midlands.

If reports about the changes the BBC are to announce tomorrow are true however, we may see a lot more political coverage on BBC2 in the coming years and therefore more opportunities for new members to appear.

At the moment it seems fairly unlikely that Labour will win it back at the next election, but there is of course a very, very long way to go.

First time incumbancy should aid Rehman Chishti.

Ultimately, the result may depend on how the economy does, but Labour fell so much here maybe even a rocky economy wouldn’t quite be enough.

Of course this isn’t a key seat for Labour anyway, as with the present boundaries they can win a majority without winning this seat. Though we’ll have to see what the boundary commission comes up with.

Maj 3900