A PETITION that could force a Parliamentary by-election in Brecon and Radnorshire following Chris Davies MP’s conviction over a false expenses claim will open on Thursday, May 9.

The petition will be located in six locations across the constituency and any voter registered in the constituency, including those who turn 18 before the end of the six week period on Thursday, June 20, is able to sign the petition.

It is only the third time since the recall provision was introduced in 2015 that a petition has been opened and this is the first time in Wales.

All registered parliamentary electors will be written to individually advising them of the signing procedure and which of the six signing place they have been allocated to.

Parliamentary electors who are currently registered to vote by post will receive their signing sheet by post. It is understood there are around 8,000 registered postal voters in Brecon and Radnorshire.

For the petition to force the by-election, in which Conservative MP Mr Davies would be entitled to stand, it must be signed by 10% of registered voters. As there are 53,032 people on the register the petition must be signed by at least 5,303 people for a by-election to be called.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow stated in Parliament on Wednesday that he would be writing to Powys council to open the recall petition. That came 24 hours after Mr Davies was fined £1,500 and told to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work for two offences, one of submitting a false expenses claim and a second charge of attempting to do so.

He had split an invoice, for £700 for photographs for which he was entitled to claim, into two to spread the cost across two expenses accounts.

Here are the details of the petition

Petition signing period: 9am on Thursday, May 9 to 5pm Thursday, June 20

The designated petition signing places are

County Hall, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 5LG

Neuadd Brycheiniog, Cambrian Way, Brecon, LD3 7HR

Presteigne Library, Market Hall, Presteigne, LD8 2AD

Ystradgynlais Library, Temperance Street, Ystradgynlais, SA9 1JJ

Council Chamber, Broad Street, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5BX

Clarence Hall House, Beaufort Street, Crickhowell, NP8 1BN

What times can people sign the petition?

Monday, 9am to 5pm (except spring bank holiday Monday)

Tuesday, 8am to 5pm

Wednesday, 9am to 8pm

Thursday, 9am to 5pm

Friday, 9am to 5pm

New applications to sign the petition by POST must be received by no later than 5pm on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

New applications to sign the petition by PROXY must be received by no later than 5pm on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.