LABOUR General Election candidate Azhar Ali said he had changed his mind about his leader since tweeting four years ago that ‘Corbyn would be a disaster'.

The Pendle constituency hopeful put out the social media message during an online debate during the 2015 party leadership contest.

The tweet featured in a national newspaper front page article yesterday highlighting 12 Labour candidates who had previously heavily-criticised Jeremy Corbyn.

Foreign office minister Andrew Stephenson, the Conservative candidate in Pendle, posted on Facebook: "The Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Pendle, Azhar Ali, has made the front page today for his frank admission that 'Corbyn would be a disaster'.

"I couldn’t have put it better myself.

"The choice at this election is between a majority Conservative government that will end the paralysis and confusion in Parliament, get Brexit done, and let the country move on or a hung Parliament bringing more confusion and Corbyn in Downing Street."

County Cllr Ali said: "I was wrong and I have changed my mind.

"The tweet was part of an online conversation in 2015 when I was supporting Yvette Cooper in the Labour leadership election.

"Since then Jeremy has proved a fine leader of the party and will be good Prime Minister.

"I voted for him in the leadership election in 2016.

"He has put forward policies which resonate with working people on the doorstep."

Pendle Liberal Democrat candidate Gordon Lishman said: "Mr Corbyn has proved Cllr Ali right. He has been a disaster for Labour and would be a disaster as Prime Minister. Boris Johnson has already proved a disaster for the county."

Cllr Ali said: "It shows how desperate the Daily Mail and the Tories are getting when they have to go trawling through my Twitter and Facebook looking for post from four years ago."