The Times of London said Rowntree will run as a Labor candidate for a Cities of London and Westminster seat in the next general election.

The 43-year-old musician and longtime Labor Party member lost his bid to become a London council member last summer, during a by-election in Marylebone, the Times said.

Rowntree has said he would like to see stronger representation for the poor, as well as greater involvement of young people in politics and a new governmental approach to drug issues.

"We are about to have a whole generation of non-voters," the newspaper quoted him as saying.