Andrew Gwynne, Labour MP for Gorton and Denton is standing down because of ill health. Thus provoking a great deal of speculation as to who will stand in his place.

Anyone memories going back to 60s/70s?

Harold Wilson won an election, but one of his key wing men, pencilled in as the Foreign Secretary, was defeated. So another MP was translated to the House of Lords and this chaap, Patrick Something-Something, its on the tip of my tongue, stood for Labour in the By-election - and lost again.

The voters were p*ssed off at having their elected MP, who during the election campaign had no doubt claimed to them that they were the only people for him prepared so quickly to desert them if a better thing (a life peerage) hove into view, just so they could have a candidate foisted on them, that no one knew and who had already been rejected by one set of voters.

I assume Andy Burnham has been warned of what happened last time, he will be too young to remember it, and is playing his cards very close to his chest.

Gransnet thrives on speculation keepingquiet!

Mere speculation- he already said he wouldn't. People like to get wound up though...

I hope he doesn’t stand. I’ve got reservations following his ill judged self promotion last year. He’s a good mayor, but I don’t think he would be right for PM.

If AB decides to throw his name into the hat to become an MP then he will have to first stand down from being the elected Mayor - so I suppose it's a case of watch this space 😂