Former Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Shahid Malik denies comeback

Shahid Malik said suggestions that he planned to seek selection as the Labour Party’s candidate for the Batley and Spen constituency were “100 per cent fabricated trash”.

Speculation about whether Mr Malik had plans to resurrect his political career was sparked by a newspaper article last week.

Mr Malik had as MP for Dewsbury and Mirfield for five years after being elected in 2005.

He lost his seat to Conservative candidate Simon Reevell in May 2010.

Any bid to win back that seat was ruled out after the Labour Party decided its next candidate for the constituency would be chosen from an all-women shortlist.

Last week’s article suggested Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood would announce his retirement at the next Labour annual meeting and that Mr Malik was positioning himself to run for the seat.

But a spokesman for Mr Wood’s office said: “Mike has no plans to announce his retirement.

“Nor will he be distracted from the important work he does for the people of Batley and Spen by mischievous rumour and idle chatter.”

Mr Malik also dismissed the claims of a comeback.

He said: “It is 100 per cent fabricated trash.”

He said he had no plans to stand as a parliamentary candidate anywhere else in the country.

He added: “I am not allowing my name to be associated with anything to do with politics.”