New Welsh Labour leader in place by mid September
Martin Shipton
A new Welsh Labour leader to succeed Vaughan Gething will be in place by the middle of September, the party has announced.
Nominations for a new party leadership election opened at 7pm on Saturday July 20 and will close at noon on Wednesday July 24.
To get on the ballot paper candidates will need the support of either five other Labour Members of the Senedd, or the combined support of two other MSs and some constituency Labour parties, or affiliated organisations, mainly trade unions.
Ballots will be sent out from August 22 and will need to be returned by September 13. The new leader will be announced the day after, on September 14.
Mr Gething announced his intention to stand down on Tuesday after just four months as Welsh Labour leader and First Minister. He has been embroiled in controversy since NationCymru revealed that he had accepted donations totalling £200,000 from a waste company owned by businessman David Neal, who has received two suspended prison sentences for dumping toxic sludge in the protected wetlands landscape of the Gwent Levels.
NationCymru later revealed that Mr Gething had written to fellow ministers during the Covid crisis, telling them he was deleting iMessages that would be disclosable under freedom of information legislation. He later lied about the matter to the UK Covid Inquiry and the Senedd.
Resigned
He ignored a vote of no confidence passed by the Senedd, but eventually resigned after three senior ministers and the Welsh Government’s top legal adviser quit the Cabinet after telling him they had lost confidence in him. Mr Gething had sacked Social Partnership Minister Hannah Blythyn after accusing her of being responsible for leaking screenshot messages to NationCymru – something Ms Blythyn and the news website deny.
It is thought likely that Jeremy Miles, who was narrowly defeated by Mr Gething in the earlier leadership contest, and current Health Minister Eluned Morgan will be candidates for the leadership. Baroness Morgan’s office manager was seen in the Senedd cafe this week with a spreadsheet of Labour MSs.
Mr Gething will be given one final First Minister’s questions in the Senedd on September 17 and the new leader will take over as First Minister – subject to a vote in the Senedd – the next day.
In a defiant resignation speech, Mr Gething denied any wrongdoing, saying: “My integrity matters. I have not compromised it.
“I regret that the burden of proof is no longer an important commodity in the language of our politics.”
He added: “I’m proud of my record in all the things I have done before coming here and since coming here in 11 years as a minister.
“I’m sad that today sees the start of that process coming to an end, but I remain full of optimism of what this place can do and what Welsh Labour leadership can provide to my country and all the people who are proud to call Wales their home.”
Donation limit
Concerns have been raised about the fact that no new donation limits have been announced for the new leadership election, opening up the possibility that further dubious contributions could be made by external players. Former First Minister Carwyn Jones is preparing a report into whether party rules should be changed to decrease the spending limit allowed to candidates standing for the party leadership, but it is not due to be delivered until September.
A Labour Insider said : “It’s pretty obvious the scale of the donation from a convicted criminal, whose business dealings have embarrassed Labour on a daily basis, can’t happen again. Voters are watching and we have seen from the polling and heard on the doorstep how disgusted they were. To deny this is to deny reality. If the Party won’t lead on calling for a donations cap, candidates should. Surely we could ban donations from convicted criminals as well. People are looking to Labour to set the tone for a new politics and we cannot be embroiled in more donation controversy.”
A Labour strategist said: “The election is Jeremy Miles’ to lose. He should make it clear that the party needs to stand for public service, whose representatives maintain the highest standards of integrity.
“The last few months have been very bruising for Welsh Labour, with seats won at the general election despite Vaughan Gething, not because of him.
“You only have to look at Vaughan’s poll ratings to see what a disaster he has been for the party. Welsh Labour needs a leader who can re-establish a sense of purpose.
“If he wins, he should do a deal with Plaid Cymru to ensure the Budget can go through. Vaughan’s supporters are pressing Eluned Morgan to stand, so if she does she will be a continuity Gething candidate.
“A small number of Gething supporters have criticised Jeremy Miles, saying he can’t unify the group. It should be made clear to them that if they don’t support the Budget they will lose the whip and won’t be able to stand again at the next Senedd election in 2026.”
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Typical of this individuals contempt for the will of others. Very dodgy election brings a vote of no confidence within a couple of months, but he then hangs around for another 3 months despite being forced out.
Ah, great some ballot papers, oh, forgot it’s only the few thousand Labour members that get to elect the new FM – again! Democracy in action. It shows Labour are no different to the Tories. Roll on 2026.
I’d like to think that 2026 will bring us some really fresh alternative to the outcome of the elections of the past quarter century, but I suspect that it won’t.
Except for the just conceivable possibility that Reform UK might replace the Welsh Conservatives as the official opposition, a thought which heartens me not one whit.
I don’t get this line of complaint. We have never voted for the choice of FM. We only ever vote for our local representative. Twas ever thus. The FM is either known at the time, or selected thereafter – the leader of the party with the most seats in the house. Your input was factored in, just in the first phase, not the second. To say the process is undemocratic is disingenuous.
You should be more worried about our dysfunctional FPTP selection method, and about the closed lists Labour are foisting upon us.
September! No rush Welsh Labour, we have been rudderless for 5 months as it is, or should that be 25 years??
Smiles or Baroness Bumble…
If either of those two is the will of the Senedd then God help us and send us Mabon…
It can be any MS, bar two, chosen by the Senedd…not just the ‘anointed’ ones…read the rules…
The objection that Morgan would be the “continuity” Gething candidate does not make sense – unless the reason for forcing Gething out was something other than the questionable donation.
What we need and Wales deserves is the best person for the position.
Do not forget the opposition has same number of MS and could offer up a credible alternative.
Has the review of internal elections for Welsh Labour by Carwyn Jones been published yet?
Should Wales pick its leader using “five..Labour Members of the Senedd, or the combined support of two other MSs and some constituency Labour parties, or affiliated organisations, mainly trade unions.”? Followed by Labour MSs voting? No. Under a proper Wales Constitution, Labour could pick a candidate, fine. So could other parties. Then WE would vote for the one we wanted. Happens in 50 US States when electing Governors, many close to the size of Wales. We just need to agree on a Constitution, and then get the Bay and Westminster to accept it. If its legit, they would.
It looks like a stitch up to get the Baroness the job with Irranca Davies as a deputy. Her handling of the Health Service over last few years should exclude her, as she has shown she is a serial buck passer. I know from communication I had when my terminally ill wife was left on the floor of our house 18 months ago with a serious back injury after a fall. Was told no ambulances available for hours, in the end, after stabilising her with phone help of 111 service, my daughter, son in law and myself got her on… Read more »