SARGEANT SON ON WINNING DAD’S SEAT
Chief reporter Martin Shipton interviewed Alyn and Deeside’s new AM Jack Sargeant about his emotions, the reception he received on the doorstep during his victorious election campaign and his priorities for the coming years
WELSH Labour’s campaign in Alyn and Deeside was marred by an internal dispute between national officials and people loyal to Carl Sargeant and his son, Jack, we can reveal.
The friction came against a background of mistrust between those close to the late AM and Communities Minister in the constituency and Labour’s Welsh hierarchy.
Welsh Labour imposed Louise Magee, the general secretary of Welsh Labour who had a role in handing the complaints against Carl Sargeant over to UK Labour, as Jack Sargeant’s election agent.
Speaking after his election as the constituency’s Labour AM yesterday, Jack Sargeant himself said he would have preferred a local person as his agent.
Several sources have told us that negotiations took place between solicitors acting for the Sargeant family and solicitors acting for the Labour Party.
While the party would not budge from its insistence that Ms Magee, as general secretary of Welsh Labour, should be the election agent, a compromise was reached under which she was mainly based outside the constituency in Labour’s Wrexham office, coming to Alyn and Deeside as and when required to fulfil her duties as Jack Sargeant’s election agent.
One Labour politician close to the Sargeant family accused Welsh Labour of “riding roughshod” over their wishes.
Flintshire deputy leader Bernie Attridge said: “I’m aware that Jack and his legal team made it quite clear to Welsh Labour that he didn’t want Louise Magee as his agent.
“Jack wanted to have his own agent but they wouldn’t allow that.
“I’m aware that they told him he had to have Louise Magee as his agent and there was a hint that if he didn’t go along with that he would not get endorsed by the WEC (Welsh Executive Committee) as the by-election candidate. “Welsh Labour rode roughshod over the wishes of Jack and his family. I will never forgive them for that.” Carl Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life four days after he was removed from his post as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children. A Labour Party spokesman said: “As is always the case in by-elections, the Welsh Labour General Secretary acted as the agent for the Alyn and Deeside by-election. “As the Labour Party made clear at the time, there was no reason why this should not be the case.
“The Welsh Labour campaign for Jack Sargeant’s election was a huge success, increasing the majority in the seat. It was a positive, engaging campaign that enjoyed the support of local members and supporters from across the UK.”
Asked whether he was disappointed that he had not been allowed to have a local agent, Mr Sargeant said: “I think the campaign would have been nicer with a local agent. The local members wanted that.”
Told about Mr Attridge’s comments, he said: “I think we’ve had a fantastic campaign. The Labour colleagues we’ve had have done a great job in helping us out.
“The expertise of Bernie and others meant we could run a campaign that was as locally focused as possible.”
In Tuesday’s by-election Jack Sargeant topped the poll with more than 60% of the vote.
He got 11,267 votes, with Conservative candidate Sarah Atherton in second place with 4,723 votes
The Liberal Democrats’ Donna Lalek got 1,176 votes, Plaid Cymru’s Carrie Harper 1,059 and the Green Party’s Duncan Rees 353.
AT 23, Jack Sargeant has become the youngest-ever member of the National Assembly after entering politics in the most tragic circumstances imaginable.
The intensive campaigning he has engaged in since being selected as Labour’s by-election candidate in the seat previously held by his father has been a rite of passage in terms of gaining a maturity unusual for someone of his years.
How difficult had the campaign been for him?
He said: “It’s been difficult and sometimes highly emotional. I’d say about one in three of the doors I knocked on had people with happy memories of my dad.
“He hadn’t necessarily helped them as a politician, but they remembered him with affection from a karaoke, for example. I think that’s absolutely fantastic.
“On about 10 occasions, people broke down in tears on their doorstep.
“I think there’s clearly a lot of pain and anger still in the constituency. But I think with my election we can take a step forward now.”
Mr Sargeant said the support he had received from the community had provided strength for him and his family.
“Alyn and Deeside is a very special community with amazing people and I’m looking forward to doing the best job I can to represent them at the Assembly.”
Responding to those who wonder what a 23-year-old with limited life experience who hasn’t studied politics can offer in his new role, Mr Sargeant said: “Real life experience leads to real life solutions. I’ve worked as an apprentice coming out of school in industry.
“Age is just a number. I believe there’s a great opportunity here to bring new energy and a new perspective to the Assembly.
“Industry’s a big thing here in Alyn and Deeside, and across Wales really.
“Having that new perspective is very important, I think.
“I’m living the life of my friends in Alyn and Deeside, and it’s a positive thing that young people can be represented by one of their own.
“It’s about engaging the younger generation. I can be the voice for that, along with some others as well.”
Mr Sargeant said he was very proud that Wales was leading the way in terms of a positive approach to equality, adding that the best outcomes would be obtained by including everyone in decision making, discriminating against nobody on the basis of gender, race, age and other parameters.
Carl Sargeant was very committed to equality issues too and the new AM said he had learned more from his father than anyone else – and continued to do so, even though he was no longer around.
Speaking yesterday afternoon, Mr Sargeant said he had yet to hear from Carwyn Jones, whose Assembly group he will now be joining. He did, however, receive a message on social media from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn within minutes of the by-election result being declared.
Asked how he felt about joining a group led by Mr Jones, who kept away from his father’s funeral after being told the Sargeant family would not welcome his presence, and who didn’t visit Alyn and Deeside during the by-election, Mr Sargeant said: “We’re in a position at the moment where we’ve got to do a job.
“I’ve been elected to go down there and represent the people of Alyn and Deeside. I’ll be focusing on going down there to do that job.
“The inquiries [into his father’s death and related matters] are under way. The First Minister has a job to do and so do I.
“There will be a time and place once the inquiries are complete for comments, but we need to wait and see.
“I have a lot of support and friends among Welsh Labour politicians and beyond.
“People like Ken Skates, Lesley Griffiths and Leighton Andrews have been superb, but in fact we could be here all day talking about the people who have been up to support the campaign, to all of whom I am very grateful.”
Mr Sargeant said he was looking forward to getting to grips with his new role.
“It will be a change of lifestyle and a challenge,” he said. “But things change all the time and we have to adapt.
“I know Cardiff quite well – I’ve been there a lot with my dad from the time I was pretty young, and I have some good friends there too.
“I’m not apprehensive. We should never stop learning.”
Mr Sargeant is very aware that one of the major challenges facing Alyn and Deeside is the threat posed to the Airbus plant at Broughton posed by Brexit.
He said: “Brexit is happening, but we have to do everything we can to ensure that the fantastic Airbus factory provides skilled work for present and future workers.
“As someone who did work experience at Airbus, that means an enormous amount to me.”