Don’t make decisions for Labour members

I WOULD like to draw attention to some serious concerns that many Labour members in Wales have regarding internal democracy and accountability within Welsh Labour Llafur Cymru.

Unlike English Labour, whose members had a democratic say in electing their representatives to the NEC, members in Scotland and Wales were denied this fundamental democratic right.

Therefore our representative from Wales on the NEC was chosen by Carwyn Jones AM, who selected Alan Davis AM from Blaenau Gwent. Davis, a known right-winger and proponent of Blair’s now clearly rejected ideology, then chose to support Owen Smith in his disastrous attempt to unseat Corbyn. This unnecessary internal election distracted Labour from the essential job of opposing the Tories’ vile rightist economic and social policies. This contrasts dramatically with the fact that all Welsh CLPs except Blaenau Gwent CLP voted to support the clear winner, Jeremy Corbyn.

Also, prior to the general election earlier this year, we are told, the WLP imposed all the candidates to represent Labour in Wales at the election, without members having a vote.

We, the members, demand the same rights as members in Labour England to be able to elect representatives to the NEC etc, and candidates for elections openly and transparently. We do not want these positions filled by persons making decisions behind closed doors, like the Tories do, as this gives the impression of nepotism and blurs the distinction between Tory and Labour, so bringing the party into disrepute among the electorate and thereby reduces Labour’s effectiveness at the ballot box. Ralph Rea St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire