BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has been branded a "virtuoso bore" by one of his Labour colleagues at Westminster.

Maverick backbencher Paul Flynn puts the insult in his new book Commons Knowledge.

The attack follows Mr Pike being branded a one of the worst dressed MPs in the Commons by Independent councillor in the town Harry Brooks.

Mr Flynn's book, subtitled How to be a Backbencher has a section describing different types of Commons character. One is entitled Virtuoso Bore."

In it, Mr Flynn writes: "Boredom is a mighty political weapon. Whips cleverly incite boredom. It lowers the temperature of debate, infuriates political opponents and exhausts them.

"Labour's resourceful Peter Pike was once persuaded to speak for seven hours in a bill committee. With consumate skill he avoided saying anything of interest.

"Henry Brooke was regularly wheeled out by Harold Macmillan at tricky times in the Chamber to send MPs scurrying off to the tea rooms. "Brilliant bores meticulously strip their speeches of adjectives jokes and colour. They must be stuffed with statistics, complex sentences and hypnotic repetitions."

Mr Pike hit back by claiming that Mr Flynn had got his facts wrong - he only spoke for four hours.

But he added: "If I have to bore for the sake of the Labour Party or for the interests of my constituents I will bore for as long as is necessary to get the right result."

Friends of the MP said after his massive election victory, recording his highest-ever majority, the veteran MP was ready to fight another election and sit another session.

Mr Pike will not be 65 by the time of the next election and apparently has no intention of retiring.

The news that rumours of him leaving the Commons at the next election are untrue will disappoint several Burnley councillors seeking to inherit the safe seat.

Front runners to take over, were Mr Pike to go, include Burnley Council leader Kath Reade and failed Ribble Valley Labour candidate Marcus Johnstone.

Other councillors with an eye on the seat are understood to include Wendy Croft and Terry Burns.

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