As the lobbying scandal exploded Liz emphasised that she’d worked with Patricia ‘in the past’ and that she wanted to focus on her own record.

On another occasion she said:

“I don’t think people closely associate me with Patricia Hewitt. I’m the new candidate. Judge me, on me.”

But figures from the Electoral Commission that the all-new candidate’s campaign was funded by the controversial old one – at least in part.

The most recent published figures show that Patricia Hewitt herself donated £3,100 to the Leicester West constituency Labour party on March 1 this year.

It was the only donation made to the constituency party in the first quarter of this year, and the first in at least a decade from Ms Hewitt to the local party.

£3,100 is, of course, slightly more than Ms Hewitt’s claimed daily rate…

Which is why her coyness over who she’ll back as the next Labour leader is so interesting.

The other two city MPs – Sir Peter Soulsby and Keith Vaz – have already announced they’ll be voting for frontrunner David Miliband.

But as a rising young star in the Labour Party, Ms Kendall will know that her backing, along with 30 or so other future key players, is coveted. Face-time with the big players beckons.

As a former SpAd to Blairite Patricia Hewitt, it’s hard to see her plumping for a leftie candidate such as Jon Cruddas, or the Brown-tarnished Ed Balls. Although ‘soft left’ Ed Miliband is popular  and charismatic and it’s unlikely anyone has ruled him out yet. Meanwhile Andy Burnham could sweep up some of the Blairite votes that don’t go to the older Miliband brother.

Whoever she backs, a line has been drawn in the sand. She’s marked herself out as an independent thinker who isn’t one to jump on a passing bandwagon.

Will she back a winner in the end? With Labour’s AV voting system the contest could be blown wide open if the older Miliband brother doesn’t sew up the nomination on first preference votes alone.