Huw Lewis Throws First Leadership Punch

Looks like the post Rhodri fight has begun. Huw Lewis on Good Evening Wales just blasted the sources who leaked today’s revelations. Like a demented prize fighter, Huw forgot that we were in the middle of an election and launched a vicious attack on those who he claimed were undermining the Labour party in Wales.

It is clear that the Welsh and Unionist wing of the Labour party in Wales are in a sate of open warfare. The VPGT election strategy devised by unionists such Hain, Andrews and Lewis is deservedly going to lead to a kicking in the polls – any party that creates a lie to win votes deserves no less – and some enlightened Labour politicians and activists have expressed a little bit of disquiet. Personally I’m surprised that they have stayed quiet for so long. A buffoon could have come up with something more inspiring than the ‘Torey bogeyman’ nonsense we have been subjected to from Labour to date. What a damning indictment of a once proud party that seems clearly to have lost all sense of purpose and direction.

Far from trying to bury the story Huw has decided to open fire on his own party members. Although mentioning no names the attack seemed very personal and clearly directed. I’m not surprised he’s so angry, as the strategy of his wing of the party is clearly in tatters.

Even more interestingly when pressed on a possible red – green coalition he refused to rule it out. The contradictions in this whole affair are mindblowing.

By saying he would go in response to a bad result Rhodri Morgan has really brought this on himself. Clearly in the political vacuum created by such a statement suitors for the Labour leadership would position themselves. Looks like open warfare has already commenced.

update - here's the transcript for those of you who missed the niterview

HL: "Well I’ve sounded out the opinions of other Labour Assembly Members and party members today and I can tell you that the mood is unanimously one of great anger towards some cowardly anonymous tipster who is trying to somehow construct a government without reference to the Welsh electorate.
I believe very firmly that we wait until the third of May for the Welsh people to say what kind of assembly we will have. And we will take things from there. It shows a contempt for Rhodri our leader, contempt for our party members and a degree of contempt for the Welsh electorate as well"

Interviewer: It’s not unheard of though is it. We saw for example in the budget negotiations last year Rhodri Morgan and Ieuan Wyn Jones went into a room together they came to an agreement and Plaid abstained and the budget got passed. We’ve seen ad hoc agreements being made previously?

HL: "Yes but what this election campaign ought to be about. What I should... what I would be able to be talking about if it wasn't for this anonymous person or persons that we mentioned earlier is Labour's future promise and past achievements. And how we put that before the electorate with the aim of winning a Labour majority government which we have done before and we can do again. We have been upended in our campaign today by this individual or individuals. That combined actually with very damaging internet speculation which is going on at the moment I think has been a bad day for Labour and it needn't have been… I mean obviously there are people out there who think that they can play puppet master with the Welsh electorate. And indeed with the Labour party. Well they’ve got another thing coming.

Interviewer: Are they playing puppet master though Mr Lewis or are they simply recognizing something which some Labour sources have said is a fact which is that Labour are not going to get a Majority on May the 3r and therefore they are trying to think about what possible solutions for keeping Labour in government?

HL: Well look I think punditry is for pundits and not a serious politician. Politicians in all sincerity and that is what I’ve been doing with my party members shoulder to shoulder have been putting the Labour manifesto before the people door by door in my constituency. I saw the faces of those party members this morning when they heard about this speculation. I would just like to issue a quick challenge to our anonymous government constructor out there. Stand up to the microphone and identify yourself or get back to work knocking on doors and building a Labour majority.

Interviewer: As an aside there is more than one source for this story but that is an aside. Can I clarify Mr Lewis then. Is Labour ruling out any form of formal cooperation with Plaid Cymruwhatsoever come May the 3rd onwards?

HL: Well look I just condemned punditry and speculation and I’m not about to engage in it myself. I believe that Labour if we put our case to the Welsh electorate has every opportunity of building a majority government as we have done before to give clear leadership to Wales . I also believe that every vote for Plaid Cymru insidently brings the Tories closer to government in Wales and we have to remind people of that.”

Who will take over from Rhodri?

Rhodri Morgan’s frank admission on Radio Wales this morning that he’ll go if Labour has a bad result in a month’s time is the latest act of a desperate Labour party. It looks like the only thing Labour has to offer is the sympathy vote.

With meltdown impending it looks like there will be three Labour leadership contents kick starting after May the 3rd - Blair, McConnell and Morgan.

This blog has long argued that Labour’s failure to come up with a new vision has been down to the inability of the main post Rhodri candidates to come to a common agreement. The hugely negative ‘Tory bogeyman’ strategy is being driven by the unionist wing of the party – whose own leadership chances will be vastly improved by a strong Tory showing on May the 3rd.

Step forward Leighton Andrews – the man who would be king?

Welsh Unionism

Blamerbell in his provocative style asks a legitimate question in a recent blog ‘Is there such a thing as Welsh unionism?’

The Labour party in Wales have a clear unionist wing, currently led by the likes of Leighton Andrews, Huw Lewis and seemingly Peter Hain. The Tories are still officially called the Conservative and Unionist Party – so that’s clear enough.

It’s the unionist wing in the Labour which has been calling all the shots of late. It was they who came up with the farcical Vote Plaid get Tory strategy – in which the Tories were quite happy to dovetail as it was of equal benefit to them. Here is the real coalition in Welsh politics of course, the unionist wing of the Labour party and the Tories.

It's no secret the Labour Party in Wales is facing meltdown at the Assembly elections, and it seems increasingly improbable that Rhodri Morgan will be able to continue to lead in those circumstances (He has actually gone on the record as saying that he’ll go once he loses the confidence of the people of Wales – based on whether Labour get an overall majority – in that context with nobody in their right mind expecting an overall majority for Labour after May, Rhodri Morgan is a dead man walking).

When Rhodri stands down after the election, the Labour Party will inevitably be forced into civil war as the Welsh and unionist wings strive for control. The reality is that a strong performance by the Tories will aid the internal arguments of the unionist wing within the Labour Party in Wales.

One of the major reasons for Labour’s lack of vision for a third term is that all the main contenders for the Labour Assembly Group leadership are positioning themselves ready for May the 4th.

The real dynamic in Welsh politics is between the forces of progression and those who wish to hold Wales back. Between those who want to see Wales move forward, and those who will stoop to anything to hold on to their position of power, be it at a Welsh level or in Westminster.

Leighton Andrews - A Broken Record

Today we see Leighton Andrews at it again trying to revive his failed VPGT (Vote Plaid Get Tory) strategy in the Western Mail. Poor Leighton has been in a bit of a tiff since the Assembly budget debate - when the tactics employed by the Plaid leadership effectively undermined over a year of Labour propaganda. Without anything positive to say about Labour's record in government, Leighton is trying to revive what to most people is politically absurd. Looks like he hasn't got the ability to come up with anything else.

Interestingly the Lib Dems in the shape of Peter Black on his blog has jumped on a bit of Labour mischief making as a statement of fact. With the red line of local government PR now dropped looks like the Lib-Lab pact is back in full swing.

Lets Concentrate on Policies

Is it me or is the whole Lib – Lab, rainbow, red green coalition getting a bit boring. What started as a cynical electoral ploy by the Labour party (aimed at strengthening the resolve of their faltering core support by raising the ludicrous idea of a Tory First Minister) threatened to dominate this years Assembly elections. Plaid’s budget tactics thankfully undermined all this scaremongering.

How pathetic it is to see some politicians in the London parties continuing to talk of the politically ridiculous. What about coming up with some policies for a change? The continuing harping by some Labour and Tory politicians says far more about their lack of vision and policies as Leighton Andrews himself admitted in his rant against Rhodri Morgan in the Western Mail.