The candidates running in next month's by-election in Newport have been announced.
A by-election will be held in the Victoria ward on Thursday, December 2, to elect a new member of Newport City Council.
It comes after Labour's Abdul-Majid Rahman resigned from the council on Wednesday, October 13. A council spokesperson confirmed Mr Rahman "resigned for personal reasons on Wednesday, October 13, with immediate effect", and the by-election - the second in the Victoria ward in less than six months - was confirmed last month.
Mr Rahman had represented the Victoria ward since 2012 and was selected as a candidate for Welsh Labour’s regional list in the May 2021 Senedd elections. His resignation leaves Labour’s Farzina Hussain as the only current councillor for the Victoria ward.
Here are the candidates for the December 2021 by-election. You can find out more about the by-election including registration details and deadlines here.
Gavin Horton - Welsh Labour Party
Gavin Horton is a former Hartridge high school pupil who worked in the Newport steelworks for over 20 years before setting up Horton's Lounge on the riverfront in 2016.
According to his candidate bio, Mr Horton is "community minded and is passionate about making Victoria ward a better place for the residents who live there".
He has also pledged to use his experience as a board member of Newport NOW, the business improvement district, to support shops and businesses locally. Mr Horton also works closely with Maindee Primary School and young people by mentoring and offering work experience to them via Careers Wales.
Muhammad Tariq - Conservative and Unionist Party
Muhammad Tariq was born in Pakistan and is now based in Newport. He is Chairman of the Newport East Conservative Association and is predominantly concerned with the regeneration of the Maindee shopping area. He previously ran as a first-time candidate in the May 2021 Victoria by-election, losing out to Labour's Farzina Hussain.
He is also running on a platform advocating tougher action on fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
John Miller - Welsh Liberal Democrats
Newport Liberal democrats have selected John Miller as their candidate to contest the by-election. Mr Miller has been a resident in Maindee for the past ten years. Most of his career has been spent in the steel trade, having started at GKN, then located under George Street bridge.
He is a keen tennis player and represents several local clubs. He can also be found at Newport County and supports the national team.
Mr Miller said Victoria needed a "return to action-orientated councillors who are visible and have a plan" to tackle problems in the area.
Get stories like this straight to your inbox with our newsletters.
