Newport councillor resigns – by-election called

Last week, Cllr Abdul-Majid Rahman announced that he would be standing down from Newport City Council, where he represented the Victoria ward.

As a result, the vacant seat is set to be contested at a by-election, which will take place on Thursday, December 2.

No reason has been given for Mr Rahman’s departure.

But, in a post on his social media page, the outgoing councillor stated that he was standing down “due to personal circumstances”.

• We want to hear why you love Newport. Click here to tell us a bit about yourself and what you like the most about our city, and we’ll share it with our readers.

Mr Rahman was first elected to the council in May 2012, and stood as a candidate for Welsh Labour on the regional list at the 2021 Senedd elections – held in May.

That month, the Victoria ward also saw some change, with the second seat in the ward being filled by Labour’s Farzina Hussain, replacing Christine Jenkins, who left the role last March due to ill health.

Until the December by-election, Cllr Hussain is the only ward representative for Victoria on the council.

Abdul-Majid Rahman has resigned his seat on Newport City Council

It marks the second by-election in just a few months – following the fiercely contested Graig ward by-election in August 2021.

Following the resignation of long-serving Conservative councillor Margaret Cornelius due to ill health, fellow Conservative John Jones triumphed over Labour’s John Harris by fewer than 100 votes.

Read more local news here

• Children invited to meet dogs and puppies at Many Tears Animal Rescue this half term
• Fines dished out in court to Newport and Gwent Covid rule-breakers
• Tesco announce important change affecting stores across the UK

Victoria by-election 2021 – What you need to know

For anyone wishing to stand in the by-election, nomination papers must be submitted to the returning officer at Newport Civic centre by 4pm on November 5 at the latest.

Victoria ward residents wishing to vote must register by midnight on November 16.

Postal voting applications can be made up until 5pm on November 17. Meanwhile, proxy voting applications can be made up until November 24.

Emergency proxy votes can be made due to physical incapacity – including covid, on the day of the election.

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on December 2.

What has been said about Mr Rahman’s departure?

Confirming his resignation on social media, Mr Rahman wrote: “Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, I have resigned from being a Councillor.

“It has been an honour to serve my community. I have told the council to stop all payments of my allowances as of last week.

“I want to now spend my time with my family and I’d ask everyone to please respect my privacy.”