One of the affiliated groups taking part in the Welsh Labour leadership election has more than ten times as many votes as members.
The Co-operative Party has "somewhere under 1,000" members in Wales, but will have 10,000 votes in the electoral college that will choose Rhodri Morgan's successor.
Co-op deputy general secretary Karen Wilkie said: "In terms of the Labour Party, the Co-operative Party has always affiliated on behalf of the wider co-operative movement; our voting strength reflects this rather than our actual number of party activists."
Labour - whose 11,000 Welsh members have one third of the votes - said organisations decide the numbers to affiliate and their voting strength is decided accordingly.
Voting will take longer for some than others. By my reckoning, the former First Secretary, Alun Michael, has at least five votes - as an MP, a party member, a member of the Co-op party, the GMB union and the Fabian Society.
Showing posts with label Welsh Labour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Welsh Labour. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Monday, 6 October 2008
Bonding
Oh to be a fly on the wall......Labour MPs and AMs are being invited to a party "bonding weekend" in Mid Wales.
The politicians are being offered the chance to brainstorm policy ideas over two days at the Elephant and Castle Hotel in Newtown.
The "awayday" takes place on October 17 and October 18 and will give Welsh MPs and AMs the chance to prepare for the next UK general election or discuss the minutiae of devolution policy over an orange juice or two.
Labour prefer not to use the word "bonding" lest anyone conclude that their AMs and MPs are not best buddies united on every issue under the sun.
Political party awaydays have had mixed results. The Conservatives tried the idea a few years ago but received more publicity for the casual dress sense of MPs such as John Redwood.
Welsh Labour say there's no dress code for their gathering. It's not yet known how many of those invited will show up although you might imagine that pretenders to Rhodri Morgan's crown might grasp the opportunity.
Labour have used the hotel for training sessions before. My spy in Transport House tells me that on previous visits they bumped into Lib Dems Eleanor Burnham and Lembit Opik (separately) in the bar.
Now there's a leadership dream ticket.....
The politicians are being offered the chance to brainstorm policy ideas over two days at the Elephant and Castle Hotel in Newtown.
The "awayday" takes place on October 17 and October 18 and will give Welsh MPs and AMs the chance to prepare for the next UK general election or discuss the minutiae of devolution policy over an orange juice or two.
Labour prefer not to use the word "bonding" lest anyone conclude that their AMs and MPs are not best buddies united on every issue under the sun.
Political party awaydays have had mixed results. The Conservatives tried the idea a few years ago but received more publicity for the casual dress sense of MPs such as John Redwood.
Welsh Labour say there's no dress code for their gathering. It's not yet known how many of those invited will show up although you might imagine that pretenders to Rhodri Morgan's crown might grasp the opportunity.
Labour have used the hotel for training sessions before. My spy in Transport House tells me that on previous visits they bumped into Lib Dems Eleanor Burnham and Lembit Opik (separately) in the bar.
Now there's a leadership dream ticket.....
Monday, 12 May 2008
A different blame game
Some respite for Gordon Brown, currently more beleaguered than a relegated Premier League manager. Ken Livingstone isn't the only Labour figure prepared to take responsibility for this month's electoral drubbing rather than blame someone else.
Lynne Neagle chairs the Labour group in the Welsh Assembly. She is also AM for Torfaen, where Labour had a pretty grim day on May 1.
Here's her take on what the elections mean for Welsh Labour:
"The electorate has just told us that we haven’t done enough – and what we have done clearly hasn’t been communicated well enough."
"The very idea that none of what happened in the local elections in Wales has ended up at the door of the Assembly is monumentally worrying – it must make us question just what kind of an impact the institution has made on the Welsh psyche?
"We control education, health, housing, community regeneration – and according to some – we’ve established clear red water between ourselves and an unpopular UK Labour Government.
"And yet on May 1st, the clear red blood of good Welsh Labour councillors ran thicker and faster than their counterparts in England. It is time to take some responsibility.
"Playing the blame game just undermines the value of the Assembly in Wales – and indeed there was little in the results of last week that wasn’t foretold in the Assembly elections of last year. Our reaction to that result has been sluggish, and we’ve paid the price.
"The communities for whom only Labour will ever deliver are tired of waiting for lasting change and they’ve just got that message across in the clearest way possible.
"It takes a strong character to ask for a discussion with the person who has just bloodied your nose – but that is what Welsh Labour must do with the electorate, starting today."
Lynne Neagle chairs the Labour group in the Welsh Assembly. She is also AM for Torfaen, where Labour had a pretty grim day on May 1.
Here's her take on what the elections mean for Welsh Labour:
"The electorate has just told us that we haven’t done enough – and what we have done clearly hasn’t been communicated well enough."
"The very idea that none of what happened in the local elections in Wales has ended up at the door of the Assembly is monumentally worrying – it must make us question just what kind of an impact the institution has made on the Welsh psyche?
"We control education, health, housing, community regeneration – and according to some – we’ve established clear red water between ourselves and an unpopular UK Labour Government.
"And yet on May 1st, the clear red blood of good Welsh Labour councillors ran thicker and faster than their counterparts in England. It is time to take some responsibility.
"Playing the blame game just undermines the value of the Assembly in Wales – and indeed there was little in the results of last week that wasn’t foretold in the Assembly elections of last year. Our reaction to that result has been sluggish, and we’ve paid the price.
"The communities for whom only Labour will ever deliver are tired of waiting for lasting change and they’ve just got that message across in the clearest way possible.
"It takes a strong character to ask for a discussion with the person who has just bloodied your nose – but that is what Welsh Labour must do with the electorate, starting today."
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Best of enemies
What a week. All those figures. Numbers swirling in front of my eyes. Not only the Barnes Runners draft accounts, but also my conference expenses. Apparently there was a spending review and a row over compensation for farmers too.
Enough of numbers. Back to the Punch and Judy show.
Labour and Plaid Cymru may have put aside their enmity in the Welsh Assembly but the entente cordiale has yet to reach Westminster.
Labour backbencher Nia Griffith was swiftly on her feet in the Commons today to raise the issue of advertisements placed by Plaid MPs at taxpayers' expense in newspapers shortly before the May Assembly elections.
(You remember, the one where Plaid promised to "kick New Labour into touch" before they realised the Welsh economy is actually quite "dynamic").
The electoral commission says Plaid should declare the adverts, paid for from House of Commons allowances, as election expenses.
Plenty of ammunition then for Labour MPs to throw at their coalition partners, sorry Westminster enemies.
Nia Griffith didn't get very far before the Speaker intervened.
Michael Martin told her: "In future it's best not to use business quesitons to attack an honourable member."
He wouldn't even let Leader of the House Harriet Harman respond:"I think I would rather leave this matter".
Enough of numbers. Back to the Punch and Judy show.
Labour and Plaid Cymru may have put aside their enmity in the Welsh Assembly but the entente cordiale has yet to reach Westminster.
Labour backbencher Nia Griffith was swiftly on her feet in the Commons today to raise the issue of advertisements placed by Plaid MPs at taxpayers' expense in newspapers shortly before the May Assembly elections.
(You remember, the one where Plaid promised to "kick New Labour into touch" before they realised the Welsh economy is actually quite "dynamic").
The electoral commission says Plaid should declare the adverts, paid for from House of Commons allowances, as election expenses.
Plenty of ammunition then for Labour MPs to throw at their coalition partners, sorry Westminster enemies.
Nia Griffith didn't get very far before the Speaker intervened.
Michael Martin told her: "In future it's best not to use business quesitons to attack an honourable member."
He wouldn't even let Leader of the House Harriet Harman respond:"I think I would rather leave this matter".
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Back to the future
Welsh Labour has a new campaigning slogan - and a portable backdrop on which to display it.
The slogan is "Working hard for Wales".
Ring any bells?
Yes, it's the same phrase adopted by Alun Michael as Welsh Labour leader in the first Assembly elections in 1999.
Well, it got him elected.......
The slogan is "Working hard for Wales".
Ring any bells?
Yes, it's the same phrase adopted by Alun Michael as Welsh Labour leader in the first Assembly elections in 1999.
Well, it got him elected.......
A spinner repents
Readers of Peter Hain's now defunct blog may remember this from April: "BBC Wales was running a story - which was utter rubbish - claiming that Labour would go into coalition with Plaid Cymru after the Assembly elections on May 3rd.
"As I have made clear in the past, party members simply wouldn't wear a deal with the separatists. So the BBC Wales claim is flatly wrong.
"Many of my colleagues believe that nationalist sympathies are rife in the BBC Wales newsroom, and such blatantly and unjustifiably pro-nationalist coverage will have done nothing to assuage their concerns."
Five months on, with Labour now in coalition with "the separatists", here's an extract from Wales United: Partnership for Progress: "The BBC embodies the values of inclusion and fairness, with Welsh-produced success stories like the BBC's Doctor Who and Torchwood showing not just what Wales is contributing to Britain but how Britishness contributes to Welsh success."
It's only fair and inclusive to point out the joint author of that paragraph, although you've probably guessed by now that it's one of the two mates above.
"As I have made clear in the past, party members simply wouldn't wear a deal with the separatists. So the BBC Wales claim is flatly wrong.
"Many of my colleagues believe that nationalist sympathies are rife in the BBC Wales newsroom, and such blatantly and unjustifiably pro-nationalist coverage will have done nothing to assuage their concerns."
Five months on, with Labour now in coalition with "the separatists", here's an extract from Wales United: Partnership for Progress: "The BBC embodies the values of inclusion and fairness, with Welsh-produced success stories like the BBC's Doctor Who and Torchwood showing not just what Wales is contributing to Britain but how Britishness contributes to Welsh success."
It's only fair and inclusive to point out the joint author of that paragraph, although you've probably guessed by now that it's one of the two mates above.
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