Pandora: Son of Prezza 'going to be stitched up' in Hull East

Just one week before the starting gun is fired in Hull East, there's a blow to the prospects of young David Prescott, 37, who hopes to replace his father John as MP in the Labour seat-for-life.

Prezza Snr, 69, will step down at the next election. David Prescott was born in Hull and has worked on big contracts for the Department for Education.

But Labour HQ and the unions are said to favour his opponent Chris Leslie a key aide to Gordon Brown and will "push Leslie through the selection process".

Despite Leslie's recent involvement in the so-called "Donorgate" affair (he denies any wrongdoing), and despite the arrest for gross indecency of the local front-runner, Hull councillor Steven Bayes, David Prescott "hasn't a cat in hell's chance" of being selected to replace his pop, according to a party source.

There will be a hustings in January and the final ballot in March. "They're doing their best to sew it up for Leslie," said the source.

A deal is rumoured between party bosses and the T&G union to make all efforts to secure Hull East for the unpopular Gordon's boy the quid pro quo being that the T&G could then offload its deputy general secretary Jack Dromey (Labour's treasurer and Harriet Harman's husband) to the vacant seat in WolverhamptonNorth East.

What Hull's independent-minded folk who can presumably mark their own ballot papers will make of such North Korean affairs is anyone's guess.

Lights, camera, anarchy!

Soon to be slouched in a director's chair in Swansea, nursing a baseball bat: the veteran revolutionary agitator Ian Bone.

The Class War founder's boozy memoirs, Bash the Rich, are being turned into a movie by the young filmmaker Greg Hall, who directed The Plague. "They're trying to cast for me at present," says the wiry, chrome-domed Bone, 60, the most dangerous grandad in Britain. "Unfortunately Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken aren't available."

He adds: "I'll see if I can get you a walk-on part as a toff."

Bone was notorious in the 80s: his Class War newspaper supported strikers and ran photos of beaten policemen. A commemorative cover for the birth of Prince William read "Another fucking royal parasite." One splash depicted Margaret Thatcher with an axe in her head.

He still believes in violent action to overthrow the state but has developed a dodgy brick-throwing arm.

School gate open for Gordon

When Gordon Ramsay considers his New Year resolutions and it seems a little late for him to bother toning down the obscenities might he perhaps promise to pick up his son Jack from school more frequently?

I only ask because the other male Ramsay, who will be eight in three days, has finished his first term at a prestigious London establishment for boys. And the fragrant mothers of Jack's classmates are most frustrated at his macho dad's refusal, thus far, to hang out with them at the school gates.

Ramsay "is probably scared," says one of the mums. "He thinks he's tough but he hasn't seen anything like this. These are man-eaters we're talking about: filthy rich, coated in jewellery and driving better cars than him. You shouldn't encourage him, he should stick with his safety-first approach."

Pink power

PinkNews has named the Prime Minister's director of political strategy, Spencer Livermore, 32, as Britain's most powerful gay man. Although relaxed enough not to own a Blackberry, he has "something of the Alastair Campbell" about him.

Interestingly, Livermore's partner, Seb Dance, a 26-year-old former student union troublemaker, has been warmly welcomed into the employ of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, whom he is to advise.

Livermore and Dance met at a Labour Party conference and are a "love match", apparently, busy buying furniture for their new flat in Canada Water, near Canary Wharf. They recently suppered at Gordon's country home, Chequers, with the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, and his wife Margaret.

Brillo carpets his guests

Having hosted Christmas parties for his celebrity chums in both London and New York, Andrew Neil has written the most scabrous review of his guests' manners. The This Week presenter, known as "Brillo" for his wiry coiffure, has been infuriated by "the paltry number of folks who wrote thank you letters afterwards ... you wouldn't need the fingers of one hand to count [them]".

And this despite the "jovial atmosphere, plentiful booze and canaps" he says he supplied.

And there's worse: some invitees, having promised to turn up, didn't show. "Only a handful bothered afterwards even to email and apologise," complains Neil. "Bad manners: their position on next year's guest list will be reviewed." Name and shame!