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Former First Minister Carwyn Jones defeats fellow Senedd member to take Welsh seat on Labour’s NEC

13 Nov 2020 2 minute read
Former First Minister Carwyn Jones. Picture by XIIIfromTOKYO (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Carwyn Jones has narrowly defeated Mick Antoniw for the Welsh seat on Labour’s national executive committee.

The post was elected by one-member-one-vote of Welsh party and affiliate members for the first time this year. Carwyn Jones won 5,195 votes to Mick Antoniw’s 4,933.

Mick Antoniw had been nominated by 19 local parties in Wales compared to 11 picking Jones, and had the backing of Unite and UNISON, while Jones got GMB’s support.

Welsh Labour’s representative on the party’s ruling national executive committee was previously appointed by the First Minister and approved by conference delegates.

“I’m honoured to have been elected by Welsh Labour members to the Labour NEC,” Carwyn Jones said.

“I’d like to thank my friend and colleague Mick for a comradely contest and for his work on the NEC. I’m looking forward now to helping Keir Starmer become our next Prime Minister.”

 

‘Big gain’

Mick Antoniw said: “Congratulations to Carwyn Jones being elected Welsh representative on Labour’s NEC.

“The importance of this election was that for the first time members chose the candidate,” he said. “I wish him well in his future work on the NEC Thank you to all those comrades who supported my campaign.”

The result is thought to shift the balance of power back from the previously Corbyn-supporting left and towards the Starmer-ite centre ground.

A Labour source told journalist Paul Wagh of HuffPost UK that it was the “biggest gain for moderates in ten years (last time we won half of CLP positions). This plus Carwyn Jones winning in Wales means Keir can have a working majority on NEC.”

‘Delighted’

Jack Dunne was voted Chair of Welsh Young Labour and Wales Rep.

“Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me and supported my campaign,” he said.

“I am delighted to have been elected as Chair of Welsh Young Labour and Wales Rep! Cannot wait to get started to rebuild Welsh Young Labour and creating a solid campaigning force for the Senedd elections.”


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