Friday, October 16, 2009
More allegations in Labour leadership contest
Whilst the rest of the Welsh media are keen to find out more about the three potential First Ministers, the Western Mail is concentrating on stirring things up a bit.
I am a bit behind with my reading due to having spent so much of this week 'on the road' but note that Thursday's edition of the paper is saying that Unite, the biggest union in Wales has been accused of “jumping the gun outrageously” in its support for Welsh Labour leadership candidate Edwina Hart:
On Saturday, Health Minister Mrs Hart and her rivals Carwyn Jones and Huw Lewis are due to be interviewed by Unite’s political committee to see which of them the union will back.
Yesterday, however, a Unite source contacted the Western Mail to say lay officials of the union were being telephoned by their full-time counterparts and told the union was backing Mrs Hart.
They were told to encourage their members to vote for her in the leadership election and in some cases asked to arrange meetings where members could meet the Health Minister.
Under Welsh Labour rules, trade unions and other affiliated organisations like the Fabian Society have one third of the votes in the current leadership election.
I heard on one of the political shows last night that in the Labour Deputy Leadership contest the all-member ballots in the unions followed the recommendation of their leaders without fail. If that happens in Wales too then on the basis of her previous background, her contacts and the support she has amongst full time officials I believe that Edwina Hart will win that part of the electoral college.
The Welsh Labour leadership contest is getting closer by the minute.
I am a bit behind with my reading due to having spent so much of this week 'on the road' but note that Thursday's edition of the paper is saying that Unite, the biggest union in Wales has been accused of “jumping the gun outrageously” in its support for Welsh Labour leadership candidate Edwina Hart:
On Saturday, Health Minister Mrs Hart and her rivals Carwyn Jones and Huw Lewis are due to be interviewed by Unite’s political committee to see which of them the union will back.
Yesterday, however, a Unite source contacted the Western Mail to say lay officials of the union were being telephoned by their full-time counterparts and told the union was backing Mrs Hart.
They were told to encourage their members to vote for her in the leadership election and in some cases asked to arrange meetings where members could meet the Health Minister.
Under Welsh Labour rules, trade unions and other affiliated organisations like the Fabian Society have one third of the votes in the current leadership election.
I heard on one of the political shows last night that in the Labour Deputy Leadership contest the all-member ballots in the unions followed the recommendation of their leaders without fail. If that happens in Wales too then on the basis of her previous background, her contacts and the support she has amongst full time officials I believe that Edwina Hart will win that part of the electoral college.
The Welsh Labour leadership contest is getting closer by the minute.
