Cardiff's controversial Lord Mayor Russell Goodway has cleared the first hurdle in his bid to become an MP.

His name has made it onto Labour's panel of approved candidates for the General Election - although his decision to accept £58,000 a year in council allowances mean that most MPs now believe his chances of winning selection in a constituency are less than zero.

An independent pay commission approved a doubling of Mr Goodway's Cardiff Council allowances provoking outrage among council staff and senior Labour Party figures.

Cardiff North Labour MP Julie Morgan warned councillor Goodway that it would put people's backs up if the proposed allowances were introduced.

"Don't take the money," she urged.

She said the councillors should wait until a report by an Assembly and Welsh Local Government Association Working Party was complete.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jenny Randerson also questioned the necessity for such large pay rises and Unison union members have warned they may take legal action if the councillors' pay rise goes ahead.

Swing to Plaid Cymru

Other prominent Welsh names include the former Labour MEP Wayne David who resigned his seat to run for the National Assembly, but lost out when the previously rock-solid Labour stronghold of Rhondda saw an historic swing to Plaid Cymru.

Also on the list are journalist Sion Simon, and Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy's political aide Hywel Francis.

Several defeated Assembly candidates feature on the list, including Ann Garrard, who lost Llanelli, Cherry Short, who lost Monmouth, and Ian Janes, who fought Brecon and Radnorshire.

Other would-be MPs include Dominic Kane - a Wales TUC research officer and the son of broadcaster Vincent Kane - and Myra Dunwoody, shortlisted for the Ceredigion by-election.