Boost for Jeremy Miles in Welsh Labour leadership bid

Jeremy Miles secured the backing of five out of the six local Labour parties nominating for the leadership of Welsh Labour on Friday night.

On the first night of nominations for Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) Wrexham, Pontypridd, Cardiff North, Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr, and Caerphilly backed Jeremy Miles, the current Minister for Education and Welsh Language in the Welsh Government.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething, who is also in the race to replace Mark Drakeford as Welsh Labour leader and First Minister in March, is thought to have secured the nomination from  Newport West & Islwyn, although that result is yet to be publicly declared.

Local parties have until the 29 January to make a nomination for their preferred candidate.

Resonating

Mr Miles’s campaign co-chair and Wrexham MS Lesley Griffiths said: “Thank you to Welsh Labour members in Wrexham, Pontypridd, Cardiff North, Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr, and Caerphilly.

“It’s early days and there’s a lot of work to do, however you couldn’t fail to recognise the warmth for Jeremy in the nomination meetings.

“The spread of seats in the north, the valleys and Cardiff shows that Jeremy’s vision for Wales’ future is resonating.”

Mr Miles secured support from the majority of Welsh Labour MSs, Welsh Labour Government ministers, and the entire 2021 intake of Welsh Labour Senedd members last month, before officially confirming his leadership bid.

The Senedd Labour Group currently has 30 members. In the 2018 leadership election, Mark Drakeford received 58.6% of the total number of Welsh Labour MSs who nominated a candidate (17 of 29).

In this contest, Jeremy Miles has secured 60.71% of the total number of Welsh Labour MSs who are nominating a candidate (17 out of 28).

Vaughan Gething announced his bid for the leadership on 14 December 24 hours after Mark Drakeford revealed he will step down in March.

He became the first candidate to secure a place on the ballot after eight Labour MSs announced their backing.