Welsh Labour’s annual conference, held in Llandudno last weekend, saw the party united in condemnation of the Tories’ devastating policies but upbeat about Labour’s chances of victory of 2015. During a refreshingly open Q&A session, Ed Miliband paid fulsome tribute to Carwyn Jones’ Cardiff administration, from which he said the British party could learn. Continue reading
Tagged with Wales
Navigating to Welsh unity against austerity
The call was for ‘Plan B’ but unity was the dominant theme at Compass Wales’ panel debate in Cardiff this week. A fine array of speakers, led by Guardian columnist, John Harris, came together to debate Compass’s ‘Plan B’, their alternative to austerity.
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, the Green Party’s Anthony Slaughter and John McInally, vice president of the PCS union all spoke convincingly but it was Mark Drakeford who made the first challenge to the Compass project by claiming there is no alternative. Continue reading
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Labour reorganisation delayed in Wales. Time for autonomy?
Next week’s meeting of Labour’s executive is likely to agree to defer reorganising constituency Labour parties in Wales in what should be seen as an indication of the acceptance of greater autonomy for the Welsh party. Whereas all other constituency parties in Britain are to be reorganised from January 2013 in the light of proposals for new constituency boundaries, reorganisation in Wales is to be delayed until after a UK government consultation on changing the basis of constituencies for the National Assembly for Wales. This will also permit a subsequent decision on whether Welsh boundaries should be based on Westminster boundaries or Welsh Assembly boundaries (in line with what is to happen in Scotland) — should they end up being different. Continue reading
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Swansea Shenanigans: never mind fascists and incompetents, stop the socialists
Regaining control of Swansea City Council after 8 years in opposition is Labour’s prime target in Wales, and one of its key targets across the UK. In a ward with a history of far right political activity (including entrism within the Labour Party), and less than a week before close of nominations, Wales General Secretary, David Hagendyk, has suspended one of the candidates in a key target ward.
Was the comrade a slacker? On the contrary, Uta Clay was acknowledged as having knocked on more doors in this campaign than any other candidate in Swansea. One of the remaining candidates, on the other hand, has persistently ignored all demands from David Hagendyk to get off his backside and do some work. Continue reading
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Leanne Wood’s win is a victory for the Left
Leanne Wood, the left candidate, founder member of the cross-party Celyn editorial team and occasional Labour Briefing contributor, has won Plaid Cymru’s leadership election. The South Wales Central Assembly Member secured 55% of the vote over her main rival, Elin Jones, on the second ballot, after former leader, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas had been eliminated.
Her victory is remarkable for a number of reasons. First of all, she came from behind: virtually no-one was predicting that she would win when the contest began in January. Continue reading
