NDP MP Allen Malcolm scrums with media on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Former NDP agriculture critic Malcolm Allen is making a bid to return to the nation’s capital in the upcoming federal election.

NDP spokesperson Guillaume Francoeur confirmed to iPolitics that Allen is running as the party’s candidate in the riding of Niagara Centre.

Allen, 65, served as the NDP MP for the riding of Welland — now included as part of Niagara Centre — from 2008 until 2015, when he was defeated by rookie Liberal MP Vance Badawey.

A proud Scotsman, Allen was born in Glasgow, and came to Canada as a child in 1963.

His father was a shipwright and moved the family to Canada when he secured work in the Collingwood shipyard.

The family later moved the Welland Canal region, where Allen still lives today.

Prior to entering politics in 2008, Allen worked as an electrician and served on the executive board of the Canadian Auto Workers union.

The CAW merged with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union in 2013 to create today’s Unifor.

During his political life in Ottawa, Allen served as the NDP’s critic for skills, training and apprenticeships and food safety and as deputy critic for agriculture and food safety, a role he held during the 2008 listeriosis outbreak.

Twenty-two people died and another 35 people fell ill during the listeriosis outbreak, which was linked to contaminated cold cuts from Maple Leaf.

Allen was named the party’s agriculture critic in 2011, and crafted the NDP’s own national food policy following much consultation with industry, farmers and others.

He briefly served as the NDP’s caucus chair from December 2010 to March 2011. Allen was also a longtime member of the House public accounts committee and the House agriculture committee.

Canadians are expected to head to the polls this fall.