There's anger among some delegates of the St Helens South Labour party on Merseyside that no local candidate has been shortlisted for the seat by the party leadership.

But the prime minister has rejected claims that retiring MPs have been offered a peerage to stand down so that favoured candidates can be parachuted into a safe seat.

Incongruous

Mr Woodward, married to a Sainsbury heiress, was placed on the shortlist for the seat after the sitting MP Gerry Bermingham unexpectedly announced he was standing down.

Gerry Bermingham: Standing down

Many feel the former Tory director of communications will cut an incongruous figure in what is a staunchly working class constituency.

The shortlist of four names, chosen by Labour's national executive committee, does not include local favourite Marie Rimmer, a St Helens councillor.

Local union official Ann McCormack of Unison said: "The majority of our members are Labour Party members and they have been denied their right to nominate someone.

"Marie Rimmer has been a local councillor for 20 years and I would have loved her to have been on the list. It is a stitch-up."

No peerage offer

But speaking on BBC TV's Breakfast With Frost programme, Tony Blair rejected allegations that retiring MPs had been offered a peerage to make way for Downing Street favourites.

Challenged over claims by another Labour MP, Mark Fisher, that he was offered a peerage if he would stand down, Mr Blair said he had not spoken to Mr Fisher.

Asked to confirm that he had no evidence that this had happened, Mr Blair repleid: "Correct."

Gerry Bermingham is one of two Labour MPs whose seats are up for grabs after they suddenly announced their retirement last week.

Also shortlisted

Downing Street policy chief David Milband was also shortlisted on Saturday for another safe Labour seat - at South Shields where former Cabinet minister David Clark is standing down.

Gordon Brown's chief adviser, Ed Balls, is yet another influential Labour figure tipped to be helped into a safe seat by the central party machine. He is married to the health minister, Yvette Cooper.

Ann McCormack: Selection 'a stitch-up'

Both retiring MPs deny that any pressure was put on them to quit their seats.

Dr David Clark said: "I think it is better there should be a new and younger face in South Shields."

Gerry Bermingham announced his decision to leave the Commons on Wednesday night.

More free time

He has represented the Merseyside seat since 1983 and says he now wants to have more free time to spend with his two-year-old son.

In a separate move, Sir Ray Powell was confirmed on Saturday as the Labour candidate for Ogmore.

There had been widespread speculation that Sir Ray would stand aside to make way for another candidate.

But at a meeting of the local party he was officially adopted as Labour's election candidate.