Simon Danczuk has been banned from standing for Labour in any seat in the general election following his suspension from the party.
The Rochdale MP was suspended by the Labour Party in December 2015 after it was revealed he’d sent lewd texts to a 17-year-old girl.
Sources close to the politician have told HuffPost UK that Danczuk is weighing up whether to run as an independent.
If so, he has until May 11 to submit nomination papers.
Danczuk has been MP for the marginal seat since winning it from the Liberal Democrats in 2010.
His presence on the ticket as an independent risks splitting the Labour vote given his local popularity and the advantage of being the incumbent.
Meanwhile, his ex-wife Karen has failed in her bid to stand for Labour in the Bury North constituency.
A Labour spokesperson said:
“After considering the case of Simon Danczuk in detail and speaking to him in an interview, the Labour Party’s NEC endorsement Panel today unanimously recommended that he should not be endorsed as a Labour candidate.”
Ex-wife, Karen, tweeted her support for Labour candidate James Frith who will contest the Tory-held marginal seat.
Liberal Democrat candidate for Rochdale, councillor Andy Kelly, said:
“If Simon Danczuk cannot stand for Labour then that’s good news for our town. The Liberal Democrats are fighting hard to win in June. We have dozens of new members and activists ready to give Rochdale the fresh start it deserves.
“We fully expect Simon Danczuk to stand as an independent. It would be interesting to see whether the local Labour Party back him as they have continued to do throughout the scandals that have dragged down our town.”