THE man who spent 13 years as Selby’s MP says he has not ruled out ultimately returning to politics.

John Grogan has stood down as the area’s Westminster representative and is now focusing on championing Labour’s other North Yorkshire candidates as the General Election campaign moves into its final week.

But although the 49-year-old has yet to map out his future plans, he will not shut off the possibility of putting his name forward as a prospective MP once again, although he says much will hinge on the outcome of next Thursday’s poll.

Mr Grogan, who became Selby’s first non-Conservative MP in 1997, said: “If there is a hung Parliament and there is the prospect of another election a reasonably short period afterwards, I wouldn’t rule out standing as an MP again.

“Most people never come back, but some do. I’ll just wait to see whether it will take another five years for an election to be held and assess what the situation is, particularly in Yorkshire, because I don’t think I would want to stand anywhere else.

“If I don’t stand again, I’m not sure yet what I will do, but I’m probably too old to fulfil my ambition of opening the batting for Yorkshire!”

Mr Grogan, who was in York this week to support Labour’s candidate for the York Outer seat, James Alexander, said he had “loved” being Selby’s MP.

“Every MP will say their constituency has variety, but there are few in the country which have as much variety as Selby,” he said.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to represent the area and I thank the people who live there for giving me that privilege.”

Mr Alexander paid tribute to Mr Grogan.

He said: “John has been a political mentor to me, and if I am elected and am half the MP he has been, I will have done a good job. His backing means a lot.”