Sacked Labour minister 'will not stand aside for Burnham'

The MP for Gorton & Denton has said he intends to serve his full parliamentary term after rumours emerged about him standing down from his seat due to ill-health.

It had been suggested that Gwynne resigning could provide Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, with a seat in the House of Commons.

Burnham's return to the Commons could facilitate a rumoured attempt to seize the Labour leadership from Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Gwynne was sacked as a health minister in February over derogatory comments about constituents he made in a WhatsApp group.

Read More: Burnham says Labour 'needs change' as rumours swirl about potential leadership bid

Read More: Badenoch says Starmer ‘rewarding terror’ as UK prepares to recognise Palestine

He also has had the Labour whip suspended since the comments came to light.

Mr Gwynne told The Times: “In order to end the tedious speculation about my seat while I’m trying to recover from a period of ill health, it is my intention to serve a full term.”

He added: “The route to No 10 is not going to be through Gorton & Denton.”

Reports had emerged that Gwynne had applied for 'medical retirement' as an MP, a mechanism which would allow him generous financial support not usually given to MPs standing down.

Gwynne is the second MP in Greater Manchester to declare he will not quit to let Mr Burnham become an MP.

Graham Stringer, the 75-year-old Blackley & Middleton South MP, said last week that he also would “see a full term out” rather than stand down.

Mr Burnham is being heavily linked with a return to frontline politics due to widespread disaffection with the Prime Minister.

He has repeatedly refused to rule out a return, but has denied reports he has set up a campaign apparatus to fight for the Labour leadership.

While speaking in Stockport on Friday, Mr Burnham was asked by a member of the public about his potential ambitions to become an MP again and run for leadership of the party.

Burnham told the crowd: "I can honestly say to you all, I've not spoken to any MP about any vacancy. I've not, you know, anyone standing down.

"I've not built this infrastructure that they said I'd built my own campaign machine. I didn't. I added my name to a letter to show support for what they're trying to."

Mr Burnham has run for Labour leader twice before, in 2010 and 2015, and has always been open to the idea of coming back to the fore.

With Angela Rayner leaving a gap in Labour, there have been talks that Mr Burnham could be the one to take her place.

Criticising the current party structure, Mr Burnham said: "I think, personally, if I'm again going to speak honestly, I think Labour needs quite a bit of change, really, in terms of the way it's running things internally as well as changes. So I'm going to be honest and say that. So I'm kind of one of those voices."