Essex backs Carwyn

Labour leadership race — By Duncan Higgitt on October 7, 2009 2:33 pm

SUE Essex, one of the most senior and respected figures in Welsh Labour, has today backed Carwyn Jones to succeed Rhodri Morgan as the next Leader of Welsh Labour.

The former Finance Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government and close political ally of Morgan until she stood down in May 2007 as the AM for Cardiff North, said: “I worked alongside Carwyn for many years and saw at first hand during the foot and mouth crisis, his judgement, courage and leadership on behalf of Wales at a very difficult time.

“No one can replace Rhodri, but Carwyn shares the same values and many of the same character traits essential for a modern leader, such as the ability to communicate well, work with others, listen to people and take tough decisions in a fair and considered way.

“It’s vital to the Labour Party in Wales that we stay united and strong. Rhodri achieved this though his leadership and I believe Carwyn is in the same mould. Someone who unites not divides.

“I think it is worth remembering that at the last Assembly election, Carwyn was the only Labour member to increase his majority. It would be good to see Carwyn as First Minister being able to translate his local popularity to the whole of Wales”

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3 Comments

  1. valleysmam says:
    October 7, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    Was the foot-and-mouth episode the peak of his career? It seems that is all that is referred to. He has some RM traits – what are those and do we really want them repeated?

    Not impressed by what is said here that would make me say – yes, this is the leader.

  2. Adam Higgitt says:
    October 7, 2009 at 6:34 pm

    “Not impressed by what is said here that would make me say,yes this is the leader.”

    Have you got a vote, then?

  3. Jeff Jones says:
    October 8, 2009 at 8:06 am

    Carwyn Jones’s majority in 1999 was 4258 and in 2007 it was 2556. This was an increase of 135 on the 2003 majority. The biggest increases in actual votes between 2003 and 2007 were for the Liberal Democrat and Plaid candidates. Even the Tory vote went up between 2003 and 2007 by 267 with a relatively inexperienced candidate. At every election since the Bridgend constituency was created the majority of those who have voted have voted for the non Labour candidates. The worry for Labour is a repeat of the 1983 result where the Tories won the seat because of the increae in the vote of then SDP candidate. In the the recent 2008 Council election Labour did very badly in the Bridgend constituency part of Bridgend CBC only regainng one of the seats lost in 2003 and losing another Labour ward to the Independents. Bridgend is a very marginal constituency which in many ways resembles an English constituency more than a traditonal Welsh one. This is a seat where elections in the future will be won or lost on the vast Broadlands and Brackla estates. Once another large estate Parc Derwen is built then Labour will really have to campaign hard to hold on to this seat.

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