Corbyn to campaign for Jack Sargeant
LABOUR leader Jeremy Corbyn will tomorrow visit Alyn and Deeside to campaign for the election of his party’s candidate Jack Sargeant in next Tuesday’s National Assembly by-election.
Welsh Labour leader and First Minister Carwyn Jones has no plans to visit the constituency before polling day.
The by-election is taking place to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Carl Sargeant, who is believed to have taken his own life in November, four days after being removed from his post as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children following allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied.
An inquiry into how Mr Sargeant was treated by the First Minister is expected to get under way soon. It is being led by QC Paul Bowen.
In December Mr Jones did not attend Mr Sargeant’s funeral in his home town of Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, at the request of the Sargeant family.
Mr Corbyn, however, travelled to the funeral with his wife, Laura Alvarez.
Early in January Carl Sargeant’s son, Jack, was selected by members of the local Labour Party to contest the seat.
Tomorrow Mr Corbyn is expected to go door knocking in the constituency with Jack Sargeant. He is also expected to address local party members at Connah’s Quay Labour Club.
Asked why Mr Jones was not visiting the constituency during the campaign, a Welsh Labour spokeswoman said: “As the First Minister said at the start of the campaign, Jack’s decision to stand shows his commitment to his principles and politics, and the whole of Welsh Labour are behind him and the campaign to elect him as the next Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside.
“We’ve seen a fantastic Welsh Labour campaign in the constituency, and volunteers from across Wales and beyond have had thousands of doorstep conversations about the issues that matter to local people.
“All of Welsh Labour are working to ensure that Jack is elected and, with the support at the ballot box, the Welsh Labour group in Cardiff Bay are looking forward to welcoming him as the new AM for Alyn and Deeside on February 7.”