Name the date
Labour leadership race — By Daran Hill on September 28, 2009 8:59 pmREADING through the Welsh blogosphere today, I’m surprised how few people are actually posting on the “extension on the extension” (as an old Welsh beer ad once said). Of course, establishment bloggers like Betsan have analysed, but that’s what she’s paid to do. But what of the “amateur” blogger? Barely a peep, and that surprises me. Several bloggers on the left have preferred to leaf through the contents of the Daily Telegraph in a way I thought nobody in Wales still did now that they didn’t print scoops about expense claims.
To be fair, Rhodri’s announcement of an announcement has merited some serious coverage. The Western Mail was very good on it this morning, while on the blogosphere Bethan Jenkins has at least tried to examine the non-disclosure in a much broader context (though perhaps not solely with the Labour Party’s best interests at heart); the Dewis have had a rant in the sort of way only the youthful can get away with; and Lee Waters shared a departure date prediction which almost made me doubt the accuracy of his very helpful electoral college figures.
As I posted yesterday, for Rhodri to have announced in Brighton that he was off would have been a big mistake and wasn’t likely – and pretty much the whole of Welsh-Labour-on-Sea knew that when they packed their buckets and spades. It surprises me that anybody fell for it.
Yet there is a definite sense of imminent change. From the moment that Andrew Davies spoke last week, politicos began to examine the entrails of their animals with a renewed interest. It was clear the moment is coming. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon…
Is anyone out there prepared to do a “Lee” and definitively predict when the curtain of the temple will be rent in twain? Will anyone hazard a guess? Being a timid creature, I’m loathe to do so. But I will buy a bottle of champagne for the first person who predicts the right date on this blog.
Tags: Labour leadership race, party conference, Rhodri Morgan, Welsh Labour
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19 Comments
2009
I think h will announce it at his press conference tomorrow (29th Sept)
That’s the trouble with not sitting no the fence I suppose. Though to be fair I don’t think you are right to say it wasn’t likely to have been made in his conference speech. After all the reports of him not having decided at the last minute suggest he was serisouly considering it
Wednesday Wednesday
no, he won’t announce it until after 1st Oct, because that’s when the The Scrutiny of the First Minister Committee is… scrutinising him.
So I’ll say 2nd October (friday).
…Although the WalesHome budget will only extend to a bottle of Asda’s Cava…
October the 3rd. It’s my birthday.
October 5th. That’s my birthday :p
Yesterday.
So far we have:
- a slight apology from me to Lee for being needlessly rude
- Peter Black on 29th September
- Nick Speed on Wednesday (am presuming this is the 30th Nick – you can’t bagsy one seventh of infinity)
- Simon Dyda on October 3rd (which was my beloved late grandmother’s birthday too)
- Al – so to be clear, you’re withdrawing from the 2nd and plumping for the 5th? Unless you clarify I will, in the style of a petulent quizmaster, accept your first answer
Plenty of other days out there – come on, get off that fence…
no Daran, I’ll stick with the 2nd (although if people want to send me champers on the 5th it will wash the cake down nicely :p)
Fair enough Al.
And the subtext, which I should have spelt out to avoid legal wrangling, is it’s one choice per person
I think people are fed up with the whole will he wont he ,when ,if etc
I know I am and most I speak to are as well.
When is his birthday ,lets go for that and just hope he gets it over with
OK, I was wrong on the 29th so I am going to plump for my birthday – 30th January!
Peter – this isn’t some sort of PR system where you can have more than one choice! Your day has been and gone (as it were)
Decided to come off the fence myself now. As Al does not want Monday 5th October, that’ll be my choice. If I’m right at least I get the benefit of the champagne…
Okay, I’ve got until 2010 to come up with a new date
And none of us went for October 1st as the fateful date. Saves me £30 I suppose…
I suggest we roll it over and offer a magnum for the person who gets closest to the winning candidate’s share (in each section to make it more fun).
No, can’t do it. The only Magnums they sell in Asda are found in the cold aisles.