VETERAN Burnley MP Peter Pike is considering bidding to become the shop steward for Labour's MPs at Westminster.

He is being urged to stand for the job of chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

That would involve him chairing meetings and being the link between backbenchers and the party leadership.

Mr Pike will make his decision over the weekend.

Other MPs standing or likely to stand include Wigan's Roger Stott, Dundee's Ernie Ross and Sheffield's Bill Michie. Mr Pike said that with 14 years in the Commons and 40 years in the Labour Party he felt he would be well qualified to do the job.

He said: "I am thinking about this very carefully. It will be a vital job with so many MPs.

"It will be very important to make sure that they are happy in their role. This is going to be a very exciting time for Labour and the country."

He was a shop steward conveynor at Mullards, Simonstone, before he became an MP.

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