Veteran Labour MP Joe Debono Grech will contest the next general election, his party has confirmed.

The news comes after Mr Debono Grech, 72, gave a characteristically fiery speech on Sunday where he said people had been asking him whether he would stand for election again.

Without being clear whether he would run or not, he said he would keep working for the party as long as his health allowed.

Responding to questions by The Times, the Labour Party said that as an MP, Mr Debono Grech was considered to be a candidate “unless he declares otherwise or other issues arise”.

“We don’t foresee such issues,” the party spokesman added.

Asked whether the elderly MP was an appropriate face for a party projecting itself as moderate and progressive, the spokesman defended Mr Debono Grech by comparing him to Transport Minister Austin Gatt, who was recently asked by the Prime Minister to reconsider his retirement. On Sunday, Mr Debono Grech said he could not wait to see Labour leader Joseph Muscat become Prime Minister.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.