THE date for the City of Chester by-election has now been confirmed.

The process for the by-election was triggered following the shock resignation of Labour MP Chris Matheson, first elected as the city's MP in 2015, following an independent panel's findings of serious sexual misconduct.

Mr Matheson, in his resignation statement last Friday, said he continued to deny the allegations, after the panel found he had tried to invite a junior member of his staff, a young woman, on a "sexually motivated" trip to Gibraltar and made several "unwanted sexual advances" on her following a function in January 2020.

Now a by-election will be held for the City of Chester seat on Thursday, December 1 - the first by-election since 1956.

Mr Matheson had a majority of 6,164 at the last General Election in 2019.

The Returning Officer has received the writ for a by-election for the City of Chester Parliamentary Constituency, following the process triggered last night. 

A formal notice of election will be issued on Friday, alongside further information for nominated candidates and agents. 

The move comes after the Conservative Party ruled out holding a General Election imminently, following Rishi Sunak being made Prime Minister.

Had the process of a General Election begun, there would have been no by-election, and voters in Chester would have voted at the same time as the rest of the nation on polling day.

The deadline to register to vote is November 15.

Residents can register to vote by visiting https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

They are advised it takes five minutes and they just need their NI number, which can be found on their national insurance card, or in official paperwork such as payslips, or letters about benefits or tax credits.

When people register, they can apply to vote by post (no reason required) or by proxy (reason required).

Candidates for the constituency seat are to be announced.