Welsh Assembly announces date for the Alyn and Deeside constituency by-election

The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales (the Llywydd) has announced the date for the Alyn and Deeside by-election will be Tuesday 6 February 2018 and has written to the Returning Officer asking him to arrange for the poll to take place on that date.

The announcement comes just three days after the funeral of the late Alyn and Deeside Assembly Member Carl Sargeant who died on November 7.

A statement released today says:

‘In deciding upon the date, the Llywydd has taken account of the sensitivities of the circumstances which led to the vacancy arising, the practical arrangements for the effective management of the by-election and the impact of the Christmas period on arrangements.

The 6th of February is statutorily the last possible day on which the by-election can take place.

Although elections and by-elections, by convention, have taken place on Thursdays, there is no statutory compulsion to do so.

In these circumstances, the Llywydd believes that this decision provides all political parties and candidates with the maximum opportunity to prepare and also enables the local authority to make the necessary arrangements in a timely way.’