Neither would be any good. Rayner would be popular with Labour Party activists but I suspect less so with her colleagues and in the country. Her vote share in her constituency has steadily decreased and Reform swept the board in the local election in Tameside.
Rayner has one huge advantage over Burnham inasmuch as she does have a seat in the Commons. Although I have heard a rumour that Peter Dowd is willing to stand aside in Bootle for local lad Burnham.
Dowd won Bootle in 2024 with a 22,000 majority and around 67% of the vote. If Burnham cannot win there, he will struggle to win anywhere.
It is incredible to think that Bootle used to be a safe Conservative seat many years ago. Between 1911 and 1918 it was represented by Andrew Bonar Law, Leader of the Conservative Party and later to be Prime Minister, albeit briefly. By that time he was representing Glasgow Central, another place where Conservative MPs are a long distant memory.
Bootle was also the death knell of the SDP. In the first of two by-elections in the constituency in 1990, the party polled fewer votes than the Monster Raving Loony Party. Even the vain Dr Owen had to realise the game was up at that point, especially after Screaming Lord Sutch offered to form a coalition..