The Birmingham Labour Party purge has begun with a number of established councillors and credible challengers blocked from standing for the dwindling number of council seats available at the 2018 election.

Two inner city councillors have already been struck off the approved lists and dark arts have been blamed for leader John Clancy having his rubber stamp declined – at least until he gets his paperwork in order.

And the party has also become a front in the battle by Momentum and the Corbynistas against deputy leader Tom Watson and the West Midlands Party organisation.

A block on members who signed up since June 2015 voting for council candidates was reinforced by the party’s Birmingham Board ten days ago. Corbyn cheerleader Councillor Majid Mahmood had been pushing for this only to be overruled by his fellow board members.

Birmingham Labour group celebrates local election success in 2016

Now the national party, embolded by a better than expected general election result , has intervened and brought the cut-off forward to January this year – meaning hundreds of Momentum types who flooded the party in 2015 and 2016 will be able to back the most vehemently pro-Corbyn candidates.

This, of course, means several established councillors who have failed to show due deference to Dear Leader Jeremy are vulnerable and should probably start browsing the situations vacant column.

An added grenade has been thrown into the mix with confirmation that where wards have two members and are thought winnable - at least one of the Labour candidates, if not both, has to be a woman.

So there are even less openings for the at risk male councillors who currently dominate inner city seats.

Everyone else should grab their popcorn – this is going to get messy.