Alyn and Deeside by-election, 2018

Last updated
Alyn and Deeside by-election, 2018
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
←  2016 6 February 2018 2021  →
The Alyn and Deeside seat in the Welsh Assembly.
Triggered by death of incumbent
Turnout 29.1% (Decrease2.svg5.9%)

 First partySecond party
 
Jack Sargeant AM (40900021582).png
Sarah Atherton Campaign.jpg
Candidate Jack Sargeant Sarah Atherton
Party Labour Conservative
Popular vote11,2674,722
Percentage60.7%25.4%
SwingIncrease2.svg14.9%Increase2.svg4.4%
 Third partyFourth party
 
Donna Lalek Election.jpg
No image wide.svg
CandidateDonna LalekCarrie Harper
Party Liberal Democrat Plaid Cymru
Popular vote1,1761,059
Percentage6.3%5.7%
SwingIncrease2.svg1.8%Decrease2.svg3.3%
Alyn and Deeside (Assembly constituency).svg
Map showing the Alyn and Deeside Assembly constituency within the North Wales electoral region.
AM before election

Carl Sargeant
Labour

Subsequent AM

Jack Sargeant
Labour

The Alyn and Deeside by-election, 2018 is a by-election that took place in the National Assembly for Wales constituency of Alyn and Deeside on Tuesday 6 February 2018, [1] following the death of incumbent Labour AM Carl Sargeant on 7 November 2017. [2] [3]

National Assembly for Wales legislature of Wales

The National Assembly for Wales is the devolved parliament of Wales, with power to make legislation, vary taxes and scrutinise the Welsh Government. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs. Since 2011, Members are elected for five-year terms under an additional members system, in which 40 AMs represent geographical constituencies elected by the plurality system, and 20 AMs represent five electoral regions using the d'Hondt method of proportional representation. Typically the largest party in the Assembly forms the Welsh Government.

Alyn and Deeside (Assembly constituency) Welsh Assembly constituency

Alyn and Deeside is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of nine constituencies in the North Wales electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to nine constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Carl Sargeant British politician

Carl Sargeant was a Welsh politician who was the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in the Welsh Government. He represented the constituency of Alyn and Deeside in the National Assembly for Wales from 2003.

Contents

The election was the fourth Assembly by-election to be held since its formation in 1999. The seat is a safe seat for the Labour Party, having been held continuously by the party since the beginning of devolved government. The corresponding seat in the UK Parliament has been held by Labour since its creation in 1983. As a result of the vacancy, the governing coalition of Labour, one Liberal Democrat and one Independent held exactly half of the seats in the Welsh Assembly, meaning that a gain for the opposition would have cost the government their majority.

A safe seat is an electoral district (constituency) in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both. In such seats, there is very little chance of a seat changing hands because of the political leanings of the electorate in the constituency concerned and/or the popularity of the incumbent member. The opposite type of seat is a marginal seat.

Alyn and Deeside (UK Parliament constituency) Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Alyn and Deeside is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created in 1983, and it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post method of election. The constituency has always elected Labour MPs, although in the landslide Conservative Party victory in the 1983 general election, the Conservatives were able to mount a strong challenge.

Background

Carl Sargeant had been the Labour Party AM for the seat since the 2003 Assembly election, and held numerous junior and cabinet level positions before being appointed the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in May 2016. Amidst the 2017 Westminster sexual scandals he was suspended from the Labour Party and removed from his position on 3 November 2017, following unspecified allegations about his personal conduct. [4] He was found dead at his home in Connah's Quay four days later. North Wales Police said that they were not treating his death as suspicious. [5] It was reported that Sargeant had taken his own life. [2] At the opening of the inquest on 13 November, the coroner was told that his death was likely to have been due to hanging. The coroner also commented that the death was "an apparent act of self harm". [6]

2017 Westminster sexual scandals

A series of allegations concerning the involvement of British politicians in cases of sexual harassment and assault arose in October and November 2017. Allegations were prompted by discussions among junior staff employed in the UK Parliament at Westminster following the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood earlier in October, and the subsequent rise of the #MeToo movement. but spread further to cover all the major political parties, including political figures beyond Westminster.

North Wales Police

North Wales Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. The headquarters are in Colwyn Bay, with divisional headquarters in St Asaph, Caernarfon and Wrexham.

A coroner may conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death, and investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within the coroner's jurisdiction.

The by-election was scheduled for the latest date possible – 6 February 2018 – three calendar months following Carl Sargeant's death. This resulted in the unusual situation of polling day falling on a Tuesday, breaking the convention of UK elections taking place on a Thursday. The Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly justified the choice of date as being due to the "sensitivities of the circumstances which led to the vacancy arising" as well as the impact of the Christmas break on arrangements. [7]

Donna Lalek and the Welsh Liberal Democrats on polling day. Donna Lalek Election.jpg
Donna Lalek and the Welsh Liberal Democrats on polling day.

Candidates

Welsh Labour announced that it would be drawing up a shortlist of candidates in advance of a ballot of local members. Jack Sargeant, the son of the former AM Carl Sargeant, announced that he was putting his name forward for selection. He cited a desire to continue his father's work in the constituency. [8] Also on Labour's shortlist were Flintshire County Councillor Carolyn Thomas and Saltney Town Councillor Hannah Jones. [9] Jack Sargeant was selected as the Labour candidate on 3 January 2018, reportedly winning over 50% of the vote. [10] [11]

Welsh Labour is the part of the United Kingdom Labour Party that operates in Wales. Labour is the largest and most successful political party in modern Welsh politics, having won the largest share of the vote at every UK General Election since 1922, every Welsh Assembly election since 1999, and each European Parliament election from 1979 until 2004, as well as the 2014 one.

Jack Sargeant (politician) Welsh politician and AM

Jack Sargeant is a Welsh Labour Party politician, and a member of the National Assembly for Wales (AM), where he represents the Alyn and Deeside constituency. He was elected at a by-election in February 2018 which had been caused by the death of his predecessor and father Carl Sargeant.

The Welsh Conservatives announced former district nurse and social worker Sarah Atherton as their candidate on 18 December 2017. [12]

The Welsh Conservative Party is the part of the Conservative Party that operates in Wales. At General Elections, it is the second most popular political party in Wales, having obtained the second largest share of the vote in every one since 1931. In Welsh Assembly elections, the Conservatives are the third most supported party. They hold one of the four Welsh seats in the European Parliament, eight of the forty Welsh seats in the UK Parliament, and twelve of the sixty seats in the National Assembly for Wales.

UKIP stated that they would not field a candidate if Jack Sargeant was chosen as the Labour candidate. [9] The seat had been their top target two years previously. [13] Following Jack Sargaent's nomination as the Labour candidate on 3 January 2018 UKIP issued no further statement, but as expected no UKIP candidate appeared on the final list of candidates following the closure of nominations on 10 January 2018.

Plaid Cymru announced Wrexham County Borough Councillor Carrie Harper as their candidate on 3 January 2018. [14]

The Welsh Liberal Democrats announced bank worker and local Community Councillor Donna Lalek as their candidate on 21 December 2017. [15]

The Wales Green Party announced Duncan Rees as their candidate on 4 January 2018. [11]

Nominations closed at 4pm on 10 January 2018. A total of five candidates were nominated for the election. [16]

Result

Alyn and Deeside by-election, 2018
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour Jack Sargeant 11,267 60.7 +14.9
Conservative Sarah Atherton4,72225.4+4.4
Liberal Democrat Donna Lalek1,1766.3+1.8
Plaid Cymru Carrie Harper1,0595.7−3.3
Green Duncan Rees3531.9−0.5
Majority6,54535.3+10.6
Turnout 18,57729.1−5.9
Labour hold Swing +5.3

Previous result

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Alyn and Deeside
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour Carl Sargeant 9,92245.7−6.9
Conservative Mike Gibbs4,55821.0−7.1
UKIP Michelle Brown 3,76517.4+17.4
Plaid Cymru Jacqueline Hurst1,9449.0+1.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Williams9804.5−3.1
Green Martin Bennewith5272.4+2.4
Majority5,36424.7+0.2
Turnout 35.0−2.0
Labour hold Swing +0.1

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References

  1. ↑ "Carl Sargeant death: Alyn and Deeside by-election set for February". 4 December 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  2. 1 2 "Sacked Labour minister dies". 7 November 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. ↑ Masters, Adrian. "The Alyn and Deeside by-election will be held on February 6th. That's a Tuesday" . Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "Carl Sargeant removed from Welsh Government after allegations". BBC News . Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Welsh Labour politician Carl Sargeant took own life days after being suspended over allegations about his conduct with women". telegraph. 7 November 2017.
  6. ↑ "Carl Sargeant: 'Hanging' cause of ex-minister's death". BBC News. 13 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Hodgson, Sarah (4 December 2017). "By-election to find Carl Sargeant's successor announced following AM's death" . Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "Carl Sargeant's son in Alyn and Deeside by-election bid". 11 December 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  9. 1 2 "Sargeant's son on by-election shortlist". 19 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Sargeant's son chosen to fight by-election". 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. 1 2 "Duncan Rees announces he will stand as prospective Green Party candidate in Alyn and Deeside by-election". 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "Conservatives first to announce Alyn and Deeside by-election". 18 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  13. ↑ "UKIP rejects new AM in row over staff". 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  14. ↑ "Plaid Cymru announce Carrie Harper as choice to fight the Alyn & Deeside by-election". 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "Welsh Liberal Democrats announce candidate for Alyn and Deeside by-election". 21 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  16. ↑ "Elections" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-02-08.
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