WORCESTER'S former Labour MP Mike Foster could be eyeing up a return to politics - by giving the Commons another run.

The man who represented the city for 13 years before defeat to Robin Walker in 2010 has told your Worcester News he is not prepared to rule out giving it another stab.

Mr Foster still lives in Worcestershire, at Holt Heath, and deliberately stepped away from the party's campaign to get Councillor Joy Squires elected because he didn't want to "interfere".

But the 52-year-old is still active in politics, and helped Labour MP David Winnick retain his Walsall North seat by a whisker earlier this month by assisting in his campaign.

With another five years in opposition, at some point thoughts will turn to a fresh round of parliamentary candidates around the country.

Mr Foster, who admits he has not ruled out re-entering the field, said: "After 2010 I deliberately said to Labour 'I won't interfere' - I didn't want to be a back-seat driver in Worcester.

"I left the field of play open for Joy (Squires), I said to the party 'it's your time now', it was their turn to have a go without me being around.

"But I'm still involved in politics, I have been ever since I was a kid at school.

"I've stopped counting, but I must have spoken to 10,000 people (since 2010) and equipped myself with real, human stories.

"I wanted to find out what people think about politics today, and life, because times have changed - so that if I were to even think about coming back into political life I've done a bit of homework."

Mr Foster made a breakthrough in Worcester in 1997 under the Tony Blair landslide and retained the seat in 2001 and 2005 before losing it by 2,982 votes five years ago.

Councillor Squires, who based her campaign around the NHS and low pay, managed to increase Mr Foster's last voting record by around 500 last week but she was unable to peg back Mr Walker, who how holds a majority of 5,646.

Since Ed Miliband's resignation some senior party figures have argued that the party must return to the centre ground if it wants to ever regain power - something Mr Foster was known for.