Minister’s fight on as deselection possible
ONE of Wales’ most highprofile ministers is being forced to fight an internal party battle that could see her deselected from her Senedd seat.
Welsh Labour officials suggested that International Relations and Welsh Language Minister Eluned Morgan, together with Joyce Watson, her fellow Mid and West Wales regional MS, should be automatically re-selected as candidates for next year’s Senedd election.
But left-wing members of the party’s Welsh Labour Executive won a vote that means the pair are likely to face an open candidate selection process. At least four of the eight constituency Labour parties in the region are expected to back such an option.
Darren Williams, a senior leftwinger who sits on the Welsh executive, said: “It’s only right that ordinary members of the party should decide who stands for the Senedd.”
Baroness Morgan said: “The Welsh Labour Executive has decided to follow the normal process for selection of sitting candidates for the Senedd.
“Due to the constraints imposed on Labour meetings because of Covid-19, party officials proposed that sitting members in Mid and West Wales could be subject to a shortened process to enable local constituencies to select candidates as soon as possible. The Welsh Executive decided that the full normal process should remain.
“I look forward to putting my name forward, to build on the work that I have carried out alongside Labour Party members on behalf of the people of Mid and West Wales.”
Meanwhile, Pontypridd MS Mick Antoniw is being challenged for his position as Welsh Labour’s representative on the National Executive Committee by former First Minister Carwyn
Jones.
Mr Antoniw was appointed to the NEC by current First Minister Mark Drakeford, but Mr Drakeford promised that in future NEC terms, the Welsh delegate would be elected by all party members.
Mr Antoniw said: “I’ve always believed that our party should be member-led, so as Mark Drakeford’s representative on the NEC, I was pleased to work with him to deliver his leadership election pledge that the Welsh NEC role would be democratised.
“I was a part of both Keir and Jeremy’s leadership campaigns, but since joining the NEC in 2019, where it’s been right to do so, I’ve not been afraid to exercise my own judgement.
“Labour’s leader deserves our support, but it cannot be unconditional. In a confident, radical and open party the voice of members cannot not be pushed to the sidelines. I believe it is critical that NEC members are able and willing to think independently and put our party first if we are to win power at Westminster under Keir’s leadership. That’s why I’m standing to be Wales’ NEC representative.”
Mr Jones said: “Having served as party leader and First Minister for nine years, I think it is really important to give something back to the party and to the membership in particular. As Keir has said, we have a mountain to climb to regain the trust of the public, and the NEC has a vital role in making that happen.
“I fought a long, and ultimately successful battle to make sure that Wales had a permanent seat at the table of the NEC. Now we have that, we need to use it to maximum effect: influencing our politics for the better.
“I have always rejected factional politics, and I have always been someone determined to bring together all the talents from every section of the party. That’s how we win.
“Mick’s a good mate and I’m looking forward to a comradely contest.”