Glenys Kinnock has dismissed suggestions that she is set to stand for election as Labour's leader in the European parliament.

Her intervention came as it was revealed that prominent gay rights activist Michael Cashman had ruled himself out of the race.

Reports suggested that Kinnock, the wife of Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader turned European commissioner, was set to throw her hat into the ring.

But an aide for the Welsh MEP insisted she would not seek the top Labour post in the European parliament.

"She never had an intention to run for the post and has in fact nominated someone else for the job," said Kinnock's office.

Linda McAvan of Yorkshire and Humberside has won Kinnock's backing.

She will go head to head with North West MEP Gary Titley in a ballot of MEPs on Tuesday.

Cashman had been tipped as the successor to Simon Murphy, who announced last week that he is set to stand down for family reasons.

But the former Eastenders actor announced on Sunday that he did not want the job.

"I have been in the Labour movement for 27 years, but an elected politician for only two and a half. It's too early for me. My work on human rights and in the constituency would suffer," he said.

"I do not want to be taken away from all that. This is a really important job, but it is not for me. You have to have a gut feeling about doing it, I don't."