New Alyn & Deeside AM Jack Sargeant wants a new kind of politics built on fairness, justice and kindness to one another.
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Jack Sargeant will take his place in the Welsh Assembly as the youngest ever member, the 23-year-old, as expected, won his father’s old seat in the Alyn and Deeside election on Tuesday.
Mr Sargeant won 11267 votes, he increased Labour’s majority in the constituency by 15% to 61%, Conservative candite Sarah Atherton came second with 4722 votes, 25.4% of the share, up 4.4% on the 2016 Assembly election.
Lib Dems polled 1176 votes, an increase of 1.8% on 2016 due impart to Donna Lalek being the ‘only’ other local candidate, a key point her campaign revolved around.
Despite a credible candidate in Wrexham Councillor Carrie Harper, fourth-placed Plaid Cymru were the biggest losers on the day dropping just over three percentage points on 2016 with 1059 votes, but enough to hang onto their deposit.
Duncan Rees the Green party candidate lost his £500 deposit he polled just 353 votes.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwaWQlM0QlMjJkYXRhd3JhcHBlci1jaGFydC1JRmx2RCUyMiUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLmR3Y2RuLm5ldCUyRklGbHZEJTJGNCUyRiUyMiUyMHNjcm9sbGluZyUzRCUyMm5vJTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwYWxsb3d0cmFuc3BhcmVuY3klM0QlMjJ0cnVlJTIyJTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJ3aWR0aCUzQSUyMDAlM0IlMjBtaW4td2lkdGglM0ElMjAxMDAlMjUlMjAlMjFpbXBvcnRhbnQlM0IlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjI0NTQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0UlM0NzY3JpcHQlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlM0VpZiUyOCUyMnVuZGVmaW5lZCUyMiUzRCUzRHR5cGVvZiUyMHdpbmRvdy5kYXRhd3JhcHBlciUyOXdpbmRvdy5kYXRhd3JhcHBlciUzRCU3QiU3RCUzQndpbmRvdy5kYXRhd3JhcHBlciU1QiUyMklGbHZEJTIyJTVEJTNEJTdCJTdEJTJDd2luZG93LmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyJTVCJTIySUZsdkQlMjIlNUQuZW1iZWREZWx0YXMlM0QlN0IlMjIxMDAlMjIlM0E1ODglMkMlMjIyMDAlMjIlM0E1MjElMkMlMjIzMDAlMjIlM0E0NzklMkMlMjI0MDAlMjIlM0E0NzklMkMlMjI1MDAlMjIlM0E0NTQlMkMlMjI3MDAlMjIlM0E0NTQlMkMlMjI4MDAlMjIlM0E0NTQlMkMlMjI5MDAlMjIlM0E0NTQlMkMlMjIxMDAwJTIyJTNBNDU0JTdEJTJDd2luZG93LmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyJTVCJTIySUZsdkQlMjIlNUQuaWZyYW1lJTNEZG9jdW1lbnQuZ2V0RWxlbWVudEJ5SWQlMjglMjJkYXRhd3JhcHBlci1jaGFydC1JRmx2RCUyMiUyOSUyQ3dpbmRvdy5kYXRhd3JhcHBlciU1QiUyMklGbHZEJTIyJTVELmlmcmFtZS5zdHlsZS5oZWlnaHQlM0R3aW5kb3cuZGF0YXdyYXBwZXIlNUIlMjJJRmx2RCUyMiU1RC5lbWJlZERlbHRhcyU1Qk1hdGgubWluJTI4MWUzJTJDTWF0aC5tYXglMjgxMDAlMkFNYXRoLmZsb29yJTI4d2luZG93LmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyJTVCJTIySUZsdkQlMjIlNUQuaWZyYW1lLm9mZnNldFdpZHRoJTJGMTAwJTI5JTJDMTAwJTI5JTI5JTVEJTJCJTIycHglMjIlMkN3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lciUyOCUyMm1lc3NhZ2UlMjIlMkNmdW5jdGlvbiUyOGElMjklN0JpZiUyOCUyMnVuZGVmaW5lZCUyMiUyMSUzRHR5cGVvZiUyMGEuZGF0YSU1QiUyMmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCUyMiU1RCUyOWZvciUyOHZhciUyMGIlMjBpbiUyMGEuZGF0YSU1QiUyMmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCUyMiU1RCUyOWlmJTI4JTIySUZsdkQlMjIlM0QlM0RiJTI5d2luZG93LmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyJTVCJTIySUZsdkQlMjIlNUQuaWZyYW1lLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodCUzRGEuZGF0YSU1QiUyMmRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCUyMiU1RCU1QmIlNUQlMkIlMjJweCUyMiU3RCUyOSUzQiUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1518011745458{margin-top: -10px !important;}”]
Turnout
Turnout was a talking point for much of the day, many predicted 2003’s record low of 25% could be under threat, reasons heard on the night, there were many; cold weather; election held on a Tuesday; its a by-election; its a bad month; election too soon after the death of Carl Sargeant; electorate simply not engaged with Welsh politics; and more..
In the end, 29% of people in Alyn and Deeside voted, which when you way up the multitude of reasons given not to vote is ok (ish) given its a Welsh Assembly election!
Twitter wasn’t that impressed; Helen said – “Sad to think it’s 100 years today since women got the vote too – how many didn’t bother today” – While Mark tweeted – “The dominance of Labour in this area provides very little incentive to vote. Voting for anyone else feels like a token gesture.” Siobhán tweeted; “Considering Corbyn came up here… that is pretty poor.”
There were many more on a busy night for Deeside.com on Twitter.
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Declaration
The candidates were called to the stage at the Coleg Cambria sports hall in Connah’s Quay just after 12am.
Returning Officer Colin Everett took a few minutes to reflect on the reason why the by-election was called, the tragic death of Carl Sargeant the late Alyn and Deeside AM who was found dead at his home on 7 November and also to mark the 100 year anniversary since women got the right to vote.
Following the declaration, Jack Sargeant took to the podium to thank his mum Bernie, his sister Lucy and he paid tribute to the many Labour party members who have supported him during the campaign.
Over 120,000 leaflets have been posted and 18,000 people spoken to or contacted in the past five weeks says Mr Sargeant’s campaign team, they have been supported by 120 party members from more than 30 constituencies across Wales and England.
Mr Sargeant said he was “absolutely delighted the people of Alyn and Deeside had put their trust in him.”
We still are all devastated by dad’s death, not just the family but everyone who knew him.
This is a by-election we shouldn’t be fighting in, no one expected to be going into this by-election, there are questions still to be answered and there are inquiries underway, but tonight is not the night for those questions.”
[miptheme_quote author=”Jack Sargeant – Alyn and Deeside AM” style=”text-left”]Despite the tragic circumstances, this is now an opportunity to start a movement to change politics. Let’s go back to traditional Labour values and look after those who can’t look after themselves.[/miptheme_quote]
“Despite the circumstances we find ourselves in, this is an opportunity to start a movement of change in our politics.
Let’s remember the traditional Labour values that built the party; Look after each other, especially those who can’t look after themselves.
Our sense of community here in Alyn & Deeside taught me the values by which I stand today.
I want us to go forward with a commitment to a new kind of politics and life in general – built on fairness, justice and above all, kindness to one another.
I may not be the first person from my family to go to the Assembly, but I am the first person from my generation.”
When interviewed later by the waiting media Mr Sargeant said;
“I’ll be carrying on my dad’s legacy in the hard work and service he provided for the community but I also want to enhance that with my own skills and ideas that I can bring to the table as the youngest AM in Cardiff Bay.
I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Pressed on what ‘message’ he will take to Cardiff and Wales first minister Carwyn Jones, Mr Sargeant said: “There are inquiries in place for that, the first thing is to celebrate victory tonight and we will take it from there.”
He was then quickly whisked away from the press pack by his ‘minders’ Welsh Labour’s David Taylor and Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami under the watchful eye of government minister Ken Skates.
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Media coverage
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