Labour has selected a shortlist of black and Asian candidates for one of its safest seats after being told it must increase its number of minority MPs.

The party's national executive has selected four activists to fight it out for the chance to replace Paul Boateng as MP for Brent South.

The party has been reluctant to formalise all-black shortlists, as it has been urged to do by many activists, but the move will provide comfort to members who claim Labour has been slow to realise its promise of increasing the number of black MPs.