Everything you need to know about the Victoria by-election vote in Newport on May 6
| Published date | 05 May 2021 |
| Publication title | WalesOnline (Wales) |
You can read about who is running in Newport West here and all the candidates in Newport East here.
People will also be asked to choose their next Police and Crime Commissioner, whose responsibility is to maintain an effective and efficient police service in each force area by holding the Chief Constable to account. Read about the candidates vying for the role in Gwent here.
But in Newport some voters will have an extra vote to cast on the ballot paper -the by-election in the Victoria ward, which has been delayed since last year.
Here's everything you need to know about the Victoria by-election in Newport.
What is it and why is it happening
Last March Newport City Council announced it would hold a by-election in the Victoria ward after the resignation of Councillor Christine Jenkins.
Ms Jenkins had been serving the ward since 2012 and was in the middle of her second term when she resigned due to health reasons.
Victoria ward covers the area around Maindee and is currently served by Labour Councillor Abdul-Majid Rahman. By-elections are required in any ward area where a local authority representative vacates their role during a council term.
Why hasn't it happened yet
The Victoria by-election was originally scheduled for April 16, 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A Welsh Government spokesman said at the time it was making provision in a UK emergency government bill "to postpone all by-elections from April until they can be held safely for voters, election officials and candidates" while Newport City Council said it had "decided to freeze the timetable after the close of nominations for the Victoria ward by-election meaning it will not take place on 16 April as scheduled" following advice from the Cabinet Office and Welsh Government.
The by-election will now take place on Thursday, May 6 along with the Senedd elections.
Who are the candidates
There are four candidates running in the by-election, including a former councillor and a food bank director.
Mike Hamilton -Welsh Liberal Democrats
A former engineering officer in the Merchant Navy, Mike Hamilton has a doctorate in archaeology and worked in Newport University for ten years.
He has worked on archaeological excavations across Britain and Europe and is the author of a number of academic papers.
Mike was elected as a...
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