New North Wales UKIP AM following resignation of Nathan ‘you’re stuck with me’ Gill

UKIP’s Mandy Jones has been returned as an Assembly Member for the North Wales region following the resignation of Nathan Gill.

Gill a former UKIP AM resigned yesterday as an independent AM, he had claimed he was not about to resign when asked earlier in December by Labour AM Lee Waters. (more on that story below)

There is no ‘process’, if you want to resign that’s what you do. Sorry Lee, you’re stuck with me https://t.co/Q4KQvVPhG8

— Nathan Gill (@NathanGillMEP) December 11, 2017

The Llywydd of the National Assembly for Wales, Elin Jones AM, has been informed by the Returning Officer for the North Wales region.

It’s with great sadness and relief that I am resigning as AM for North Wales and Mandy Jones will take my place. https://t.co/cEiBZ5GpTm pic.twitter.com/4KzE2LsDAJ

— Nathan Gill (@NathanGillMEP) December 27, 2017

Process dictates that when a regional Assembly seat becomes vacant, the Llywydd (Presiding Officer) informs the Regional Returning Officer for the relevant region.

Where the seat was vacated by a Member who was elected at an Assembly general election from a list of candidates submitted by a political party, the Regional Returning Officer is required to contact the next candidate on the list submitted at the time of the general election by that political party. 

Once the Regional Returning Officer has established that the person is able and willing to serve, the Regional Returning Officer informs the Llywydd of the name of the person.

When the Llywydd receives notification of the name, that person becomes an Assembly Member. However, he or she cannot undertake the work of an Assembly Member until the oath has been taken.

The Regional Returning Officer informed the Llywydd on 27 December 2017 that Mandy Jones is able and willing to serve and was therefore returned as an Assembly Member for the North Wales region on that day.

Arrangements are being made for the new Assembly Member for the North Wales Region to take to oath.

North Wales Assembly Member resigns 17 days after denying ‘grubby’ quit reports – saying we were ‘stuck’ with him.