A LEADING Allerdale councillor who announced he was standing down last month will stand in May’s election after all.

Konrad Hansen, who serves on the executive, was initially not selected as a Labour candidate and had resigned himself to a future outside the council chamber.

But the popular 44-year-old has had a change of heart and will now launch a political comeback after a vacancy emerged in St John’s ward in Workington.

People from across the political spectrum had also urged him to re-think his departure from local politics, which he described as one of the "main factors" in his decision.

Mr Hansen revealed he had fielded calls and emails from people including those he “never expected”, asking him to reconsider.

He said: “It opened my eyes that people across the political spectrum can appreciate one another. I have had a lot of emails from people and private chats and phone calls from people saying: ‘It’s a great pity you are going’.  “Hopefully, they are all be pleased that I intend to come back but I think it will be a shock for some.”

When Janet King decided to stand as an Independent, there was no Labour candidate for Stainburn so Wendy Lightfoot was selected to stand in her place.

But this left a vacancy in St John’s ward and Mr Hansen agreed to become the replacement candidate at a Labour Party selection meeting.

He admitted the move was a “risk” and that this would have been a “good time to leave” because it allowed him to go out on a high.

He said: “But this is bigger than me and my reputation. I am not doing this out of ego or to validate myself but because other people said ‘You should do it’ or ‘You shouldn’t have stopped doing it’.

The borough is now in election mode in a year that will see a major change in the political landscape of Allerdale, with the number of councillors slashed from 56 to 49 following a ward boundary shake-up.

Mr Hansen, Executive Member for Transformation, has also served as the chairman of the scrutiny panel and is well-liked across the political divide.

He worked behind the scenes helping councillors from all councillors with personal development training.

He is studying for a Doctor of Business Administration and provides management training