The Labour MP is off to head the Council of Europe Assembly

Birmingham Hodge Hill's Terry Davis has been elected secretary general of the Council of Europe.

He held the seat with a Labour majority of 11,618 over the Tories at the 2001 general election.

The prime minister was already facing a key electoral test in a safe Labour seat following the death of Leicester South's Jim Marshall in May.

Earlier this month Labour suffered badly in European and local elections with their share of the vote falling to its lowest level since before World War One.

In Leicester South, Labour has selected an anti-war candidate, Sir Peter Soulsby amid fears they face a tough challenge from Lib Dems who are hoping to exploit anger over policy in Iraq among the area's Asian population.

The Council of Europe is a body distinct from the EU, made up of 45 European states.