The Shields Gazette led the way as the fate of local MP David Miliband became the top story at this week’s Labour conference.

Mr Miliband’s defeat in the party leadership race to brother Ed sparked a “Brothers at War” story which had dominated the gathering in Manchester and put the national spotlight on his South Shields constituency.

It provided four successive splashes for the Johnston press-owned title and led to national TV and radio exposure for Gazette editor John Szymanski.

John kicked off the day on Wednesday being interviewed live on Sky’s Sunrise programme by Eamonn Holmes, outlining local reaction to the unfolding story and correctly predicting that Mr Miliband would stand down from Labour’s front bench team.

Shields Gazette editor John Szymanski is interviewed on Sky

This was followed by interviews with the BBC and Tyne Tees with his comments also picked up by a number of radio networks.

Mr Miliband eventually confirmed on Wednesday evening that he was quitting Labour’s frontbench following his brother’s wafer-thin victory.

Said John: “David Miliband has given South Shields a high profile and the leadership result was disappointing.

“To have had the leader of a major political party as the town’s MP would have been a very positive thing.”