Labour MP in seat eyed by Burnham allies says she will not stand aside

"Marie Rimmer, the MP for St Helens South and Whiston, said the mayor of Greater Manchester had not spoken to her in years and that her priority was to avoid the chaos of a leadership contest. Allies of Burnham, who hopes to seek to replace Starmer as prime minister, had said Rimmer's seat was one possibly in contention for him to fight a byelection. But Rimmer, who has been an MP since 2015, said: I'm not planning to stand down for anybody. I was selected by my constituency party and it's my constituency party who decides who stands."

"Rimmer, 78, said she had experienced ill health but had not stopped working and had not held any conversations with the Labour party about her future. She said she did not believe Starmer should stand down as prime minister. I don't think it's the right thing to do. It's chaos. We will end up looking like the Tories. There's far too much going on in the world today. It's just a nonsense to me, panic stations like this."

"She said the speculation she could give up her seat for Burnham had been annoying because there's a lot going on. The last time she spoke to Burnham was in the last general election campaign, she said, adding that they get on well. However, allies of Burnham said the two had in fact spoken recently. More than 70 MPs have called on Starmer to quit as prime minister after dire local and devolved election results in England, Scotland and Wales, many of them supporters of Burnham."

Marie Rimmer, MP for St Helens South and Whiston, said she would not step aside for Andy Burnham and would not allow her seat to be treated as a potential byelection target. She said she had not spoken to Burnham in years and that her constituency party decides who stands. Rimmer said she did not believe Keir Starmer should resign as prime minister, calling any leadership change “chaos” and warning it would resemble the Conservatives. She said she had experienced ill health but continued working and had not discussed her future with Labour. She also said speculation about giving up her seat was annoying.

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