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Welsh Labour will not impose an all-woman shortlist on Carl Sargeant's former constituency.

It means the local constituency party will be left to its own devices to choose a candidate – as one of Mr Sargeant's closest friends hinted he would run as an independent if he was unhappy with the process.

Flintshire County Council deputy leader Bernie Attridge, a lifelong friend of Mr Sargeant, has been mooted as a potential candidate.

He has called on Carwyn Jones to resign as First Minister folllowing the death of Mr Sargeant.

Mr Attridge has implied in a tweet that he might stand as an Independent if he’s unhappy with Welsh Labour’s candidate.

Party sources have told us that Welsh Labour’s Party Development Board – a sub-committee of the Welsh Executive Committee – will meet to decide on the process and timescale for selecting a candidate.

It is understood that – contrary to speculation – Welsh Labour will not impose an all-women shortlist on the local party, and that the nearly 700 members will be able to select a man or a woman.

A senior Alyn and Deeside Labour source said: “We intend the by-election campaign to be run very much by the local party. We wouldn’t put up with Welsh Labour trying to impose a candidate or anything else on us. There are some exceptional potential candidates in the constituency itself, but it will be up to the members to decide who they want to select.”

(Image: PA)

The source said that the by-election was being fought in tragic circumstances, which would make things difficult for all involved: “A lot of us just don’t feel like going knocking on doors. There’s a sense that in a way we’re being disloyal to Carl by campaigning for somebody else. But of course we will go out to make sure the Labour candidate wins.”

The by-election to fill the vacancy will be held in Alyn and Deeside on the first Tuesday in February.

Presiding Officer Elin Jones said: “I have announced that the date for the Alyn and Deeside by-election will be Tuesday February 6 2018 and have written to the Returning Officer asking him to arrange for the poll to take place on that date.

“February 6 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 I believe that this date provides all political parties and candidates with the maximum opportunity to prepare and also enables the local authority to make the necessary arrangements.”

Mr Sargeant was first elected as the constituency’s Labour AM in 2003. In May 2016 he had a majority of 5,364 over the second-placed Conservative candidate.