Henry McLeish will not, after all, throw his hat in the ring to become Labour's candidate for the Glenrothes seat, the former First Minister announced last night.

Henry McLeish will not, after all, throw his hat in the ring to become Labour's candidate for the Glenrothes seat, the former First Minister announced last night.

Speculation had mounted in recent days that the ex-MP and MSP for Central Fife would seek the Westminster nomination despite the fact that to do so would have split opinion deeply within Labour ranks.

Mr McLeish, 60, admitted that the prospect of standing was "extremely tempting" and revealed that he had been "approached" to consider the Labour nomination, although he did not reveal by whom.

His decision came just 24 hours after the funeral of the constituency's former MP John MacDougall, which was attended by, among others, Gordon Brown. The vacancy poses a political problem for the Prime Minister, who has yet to decide when to hold the by-election. Most pundits think he will opt for late October or early November.

However, given the cloud Labour is under at present and given the recent poll defeats in Crewe, Henley and Glasgow East, the likelihood is that Mr Brown will suffer another humiliation in Glenrothes despite the governing party's 10,664 majority. Yesterday, Ladbrokes put the SNP at 1/4 to win.

Christine May, the former Labour MSP for the area in Fife, has decided not to seek the candidacy, telling The Herald that seeking to become an MP was "never something I wanted to do". Alex Rowley, Labour leader on the local council, is also thought to have ruled himself out.

Others mentioned have included local councillors Willie Sullivan, Mark Hood and Kay Morrison as well as John Park and Claire Baker, Labour's list MSPs for Mid Scotland and Fife. Ms Morrison, who is the local constituency chairwoman, said she had not ruled herself in or out and that it was early days.

However, it is thought Labour chiefs will meet this weekend to map out the selection process, hoping it goes more smoothly than it did for the Glasgow East contest.

The Herald understands that the SNP is hoping to have its candidate in place by next week. Peter Grant, leader of Fife Council, is almost certain to contest the poll for the Nationalists.

In an interview with Holyrood magazine - which he is to join as a columnist - Mr McLeish said he wanted to end the speculation about his intentions.

Noting how he was approached to consider the nomination, the former First Minister said: "While I am appreciative of the interest shown, I have decided not to allow my name to go forward. I hope this will end the speculation and allow the party to concentrate on the selection of the candidate and retaining the seat for Labour."

He continued: "Scotland has moved on, the constituency has moved on and I have moved on. I feel I have assumed a new role in public life which allows me to work in a number of ways for the future of Scotland. I have been pleased to make a constructive contribution in such vital areas as broadcasting and prisons and - through writing, broadcasting and lecturing - to the continuing political debate about Scotland's future. This I will continue to do."

Of late, Mr McLeish has incurred the wrath of Labour colleagues with some dubbing him a "crypto Nat" as the ex-FM has called for greater powers for Holyrood, a more autonomous Scottish Labour Party and a true party leader in Scotland.

His closeness to the Nationalist government has also raised Labour eyebrows; he serves on the SNP-backed body examining the future of Scottish broadcasting and is to chair a commission on Scottish prisons.