Carwyn defeats Antoniw to take NEC Welsh seat
FORMER First Minister Carwyn Jones has defeated Mick Antoniw for the Welsh seat on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee.
Mr Jones secured 5,195 votes against 4,933 for Mr Antoniw.
Pontypridd MS Mr Antoniw, a former Counsel General, said: “Congratulations to Carwyn. The importance of this election was that for the first time members chose the candidate.
“I wish him well in his future work on the NEC. Thanks to all those comrades who supported my campaign.”
Mr Jones responded on Twitter: “Thank you Mick. You have always been a true friend and comrade.”
The Bridgend MS, who is standing down from the Senedd before next year’s election, said: “I’m honoured to have been elected by the Welsh Labour membership to the Labour Party NEC.
“I’d like to thank my friend and colleague Mick Antoniw for a comradely contest and would like to thank him for his work on the NEC.
“I’m looking forward now to helping Keir Starmer become our next Prime Minister.”
Mr Antoniw had been a member of the NEC for nearly two years, having been nominated as Wales’ representative by First Minister Mark Drakeford in line with the previous arrangement, which did not involve an election.
The Pontypridd MS, who was a solicitor before becoming a full-time politician, secured 19 nominations from Constituency Labour Parties for the seat, against 11 for Mr Jones.
Among trade unions, Mr Antoniw also had more backing, winning the support of Aslef, the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union, the Fire Brigades Union, the Musicians Union, the National Union of Mineworkers, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, Unison and Unite.
Mr Jones was backed by Community, GMB and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.
Among other affiliated bodies, Mr Antoniw was supported by the Socialist Education Association and the Socialist Health Association, while Mr Jones was endorsed by the Jewish Labour Movement, the Labour Campaign for International Development, the Labour Movement for Europe and the Labour Party Irish Society.
Despite his success in getting more nominations than Mr Jones, some of Mr Antoniw’s supporters expected Mr Jones to win because of greater name recognition among ordinary members of the party.
In August the former
First Minister attacked the “spineless duplicity” of anonymous individuals who had set up a spoof Twitter account in his name aimed at undermining his campaign.
The mock Twitter account Carwyn4Labour’s NEC – @CarwynCampaign carried no indication on its profile that it is a parody.
The account drew attention to the fact Mr Jones was being paid as an adviser to a broadband company and that a fee of £5 per family was being charged for admission to an online event organised to promote his autobiography.
Last week Mr Jones was rebuked by the UK Government’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba).
It accused him of taking up a business appointment against its advice – a charge he denied.
According to Acoba, Mr Jones should not have taken up membership of energy group GFG Alliance’s global advisory board because of insight he had gained into the steel industry while First Minister.
The former FM joins the NEC at a time when it may be called on to make decisions about the future of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn, currently suspended by the party because of comments he made about a report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on anti-Semitism within Labour.