Bootle MP Peter Dowd has firmly rejected speculation that he would stand down to allow Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to return to Parliament. In an interview with BBC Radio Merseyside, Dowd described the rumors as "unfounded" and said his intention to remain the constituency's MP is "absolutely unequivocal."
"I was elected to represent and serve the people of the Bootle constituency at the last election and intend to continue doing so," Dowd stated. He called the persistent gossip "tittle tattle" that he wanted to "put to bed."
Speculation about Burnham's potential return to Westminster has circulated for months, fueled by suggestions he might challenge Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. However, Burnham was recently blocked by Labour's ruling committee from standing as a candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Dowd noted that such speculation "distracts and detracts" from the work Labour MPs are focused on.
"We just need to end the speculation, and certainly in my case, I've ended it," he added.
Bootle, Labour's safest seat, gave the party its largest majority in the 2024 election. The rumors linking Burnham to the constituency stem from his birthplace in Aintree, part of neighboring Walton. Last month, Burnham dismissed similar claims that St Helens South MP Marie Rimmer was being pressured to step aside, calling them "fiction."