Democracy works better when representatives come from all walks of life

David Taylor

The current furore over Owain Williams’ exclusion from the Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf shortlist has exposed some uncomfortable truths about how Welsh Labour views political advancement.

I don’t know Mr Williams personally, but I’ve heard good things and people I know in the Labour Party rate him very highly.

Yet for all his apparent qualities, the sense of entitlement from him and his supporters isn’t helping his cause. If anything, it’s making him appear exactly like the establishment figure that voters are increasingly rejecting. The assumption that someone with his background and connections has an automatic right to selection is precisely the kind of thinking that alienates people from politics.

Insights

This isn’t a personal criticism of Mr Williams. His Eton education, Oxford degree, and career as a management consultant undoubtedly give him valuable skills and insights. But these credentials alone don’t entitle anyone to political office.

My concern is less about him personally than about what this row reveals: that missing out on selection is being treated as an injustice rather than the normal rough and tumble that affects many talented candidates.

Political selection is ultimately subjective – there’s no competency test that determines who gets chosen.

Selectors weigh multiple factors, including whether a candidate’s background resonates with voters.

In an era when Welsh Labour faces constant accusations of being out of touch, the selection committee may reasonably have questioned whether someone with Mr Williams’ profile was the right fit.

I’m not arguing they were correct, but it’s a legitimate consideration.

Welsh Labour has many potential candidates with different backgrounds and qualities that could make excellent politicians. Some have lived through the challenges facing working families. Others have deep roots in their communities, bring expertise from outside politics, or offer perspectives that haven’t been shaped by the Welsh political establishment.

Democracy works better when representatives come from all walks of life, not just those who’ve taken the same route through elite institutions.

Factional interference

There are allegations of factional interference, and these should be investigated if there’s substance to them. Politics always involves personal relationships and loyalties, but candidate selection should be based on suitability for the role, not on which side someone supported in previous leadership contests.

But the fundamental issue here is about how political parties should operate. Welsh Labour has established processes for good reasons: to ensure fairness, transparency, and democratic participation. You either accept these rules or you don’t – you can’t demand they be changed simply because they don’t deliver your preferred result.

The sense that Mr Williams has been “wronged” overlooks the possibility that the selection committee genuinely believed other candidates were better suited for this particular constituency.

That’s not corruption or conspiracy – sometimes the “obvious” choice doesn’t win, and that’s often healthy for democracy.

Welsh Labour faces significant challenges ahead. The party needs candidates who can connect with voters who feel let down by politics, who can offer genuine change, and who understand that political office is a privilege to be earned, not a career progression to be expected.

The test isn’t whether someone has the right CV, but whether they can champion their constituents’ interests and concerns and campaign tirelessly on their behalf.

Internal positioning

The fallout now risks making Welsh Labour look more concerned with internal positioning than public service. Mr Williams might consider that demonstrating grace in disappointment would serve him better than allowing others to cry foul on his behalf.

The best politicians prove themselves through their response to setbacks, not their reaction to being overlooked.

The voters of Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf deserve candidates entirely focused on their concerns, not on settling scores or nursing wounded pride. Welsh Labour cannot afford to look like a party where the loudest complaints come from those denied what they believe they’re owed.

If the party wants to reconnect with voters who feel politics doesn’t work for them, it might start by showing that merit isn’t measured by connections or credentials, but by the ability to serve. That’s the standard everyone should be held to – and it’s a lesson worth remembering long after this particular row is forgotten.

David Taylor is a former Welsh Labour special adviser.