Plain MP Alan Milburn arrived home in the North-East yesterday saying he expected gossip about why he had stepped down as Health Secretary.
"The rumours will go on and there is nothing I can do about it," he said as he posed for photographers with his partner, Dr Ruth Briel.
The 45-year-old - who met his two sons, Danny and Joe, from school and was driven to their home in Stocksfield, Northumber-land, 30 miles north of his Darlington constituency - ruled out a return to the Cabinet.
He said that the Prime Minister had urged him to sleep on the decision and talk to Ruth about it.
"Once I made that decision, that's it."
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