Dobson will not "kiss and tell", says Labour

The Labour Party has insisted that its seemingly-doomed Mayoral candidate Frank Dobson is not preparing to write a book about his treatment by Downing Street.

Reports had suggested the former health secretary was angry at a claim that the Prime Minister's chief of staff Jonathan Powell had warned he should run for mayor or be sacked from the Cabinet.

The Mail on Sunday quoted "close friends" as saying that Mr Dobson would not stay silent about being "bounced" into Thursday's contest, in which he is struggling to hold onto third place.

A Labour Party spokesman said Mr Dobson had totally denied he planned to write a book. "This is completely untrue. Frank Dobson has said he has no intention of writing a book," he insisted.