First minority AM a possibility

There are no representatives from ethnic minorities

The Welsh Assembly could get its first ethnic minority member after Labour selected a black woman to head one of the regional lists.

Cherry Short, who was born in Jamaica, is Wales' Commissioner for Racial Equality and will now be Labour's first choice for the Mid and West Wales regional seat.

Ms Short stood for the Monmouth seat in the first assembly elections in 1999 but was defeated by the Conservative candidate David Davies.

Ms Short stood for election in 1999

She has not been selected for a first-past-the-post seat for the May elections, but would be almost certain to enter the assembly as the first-choice top-up member for the mid Wales region.

Following her selection, Ms Short said: "We have to start somewhere.

"I have worked for 27 years for the Labour Party hoping that a day like today would come, and today is the day."

Former Welsh Secretary Alun Michael MP was elected to the assembly in the same way after his late decision to contest the poll and run for the first minister's post.

Race campaigners have criticised the lack of black and ethnic minority members at both the assembly and the Scottish Parliament.

Sir Herman Ouseley, then the head of the Commission for Racial Equality, spoke out following the first elections in 1999.

Ms Short has been active in Labour politics for many years, and is the councillor for the Canton ward in Cardiff.

She was the first black woman probation officer in Wales and also the first black woman to sit on industrial tribunals in Wales.

Ms Short is one of five black and ethnic minority candidates who have been chosen for the regional lists by the Labour party.

The others are:

• Neil McEvoy, a language teacher from Pontypool, for South Wales East
• Peter Verma, a university lecturer, for South Wales Central
• Parvaiz Ail, a nuclear medicine specialist in Swansea, for South Wales West
• Wycliffe Barrett, a training officer, for North Wales.

At the 1999 Labour's Mid and West Wales candidate Delyth Evans was elected to the assembly.

Ms Evans, who is standing down next May, said: "I warmly welcome Cherry's selection.

"Cherry has been a staunch campaigner on race and equality issues in Wales, and her experience would be very valuable within the assembly."

Candidates

Plaid Cymru have not completed all their selections, but have picked one candidate from an ethnic background, Mohamed Ashkar, for the Newport East seat.

He is also third on the South East Wales list.

The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, have put forward 22-year-old Steffan John as third on their regional list for Mid and West Wales.

The reseacher came third behind sitting AMs Kirsty Williams and Mick Bates in the selection process.

If he is elected, Mr John would become the youngest member of the assembly.

The Conservatives have finished completing their selection of candidates for the poll which takes place on 1 May.