Labour triggers April by-election to choose a successor to Paul Flynn
A by-election will be held in Newport West on April 4th, it's been announced.
The vote will choose a successor to the Labour MP Paul Flynn, who died earlier this month at the age of 84.
Some have expressed surprise at the short timescale, even suggesting that the move could be seen as 'insulting' because Mr Flynn's funeral hasn't yet been held.
The funeral is due to take place on March 22nd, meaning the vote will be held less than a fortnight later.
But a Welsh Labour source says the party acted in full consultation with Paul Flynn's family. There's no perfect time to hold a by-election, they said, but with the funeral being some time away and with Brexit dominating Westminster politics, the feeling was that Newport West shouldn't be without representation for long.
The news came when Labour's Chief Whip Nick Brown took the formal action needed to begin the process of holding a by-election, known as 'moving the writ.'
It was subsequently backed by MPs in a motion which allows the procedure of choosing a new MP to begin.
I expect campaigning to begin in earnest virtually immediately although I understand there'll be a pause around the time of the funeral.
The Conservatives had put their pre-campaigning on hold but are now re-starting.
It's likely to be a by-election of huge interest with UK politics playing out in terms of Brexit and the way that people view the leadership of the two main parties.
Newport West has been a Conservative seat in the past and the party continues to be strong there. Their candidate Matthew Evans is well known locally as a former council leader and is well-placed to narrow Labour's lead if not actually to win it.
That's why the Conservatives think that, despite its public statements, the short timetable shows that Labour is nervous about losing the seat.
Labour is confident but not complacent. Ruth Jones can't necessarily count on the personal support Paul Flynn built up over two decades but she will inherit strong Labour vote and an active, efficient local party.
Other parties have also chosen their candidates. Jonathan Clark will fight the seat for Plaid Cymru and the Greens have chosen the Deputy leader of the party, Amelia Womack, as their candidate.
The Liberal Democrats plan to have a candidate in place by the end of next week and UKIP also say they'll contest the by-election. The Abolish the Welsh Assembly party will field a candidate, Richard Suchorzewski but according to the South Wales Argus political reporter Ian Craig, Nigel Farage's new Brexit Party won't take part.