Official Labour campaign website launches
Labour leadership race — By Daran Hill on October 13, 2009 11:09 am
Screenshot of the Welsh Labour campaign website
IT’S an understatement to say Welsh Labour has never had the slickest political presence on the web. The current leadership election is, however, having a rejuvenating effect. The three campaign teams have already launched their sites and are populating it with content on a daily basis. Indeed, in respect of the Hart4Labour campaign, video statements online seem to be the main tool by which the campaign is communicating its support and messages.
The Party itself has also taken a step forward this morning by launching a neutral website to report on the campaign and set out the ground rules. The site may be basic, but it is informative, especially in terms of setting out the stages of the campaign and the process by which the electoral college will operate.
One interesting phrase occurs in the description of the job that one of the lucky trio will land. Welsh Labour is electing a person to lead the Assembly group and that person will, as the website eponymously implies, be the Welsh Labour Leader. But, as the site makes clear, “The Leader of the National Assembly Labour Party is Welsh Labour’s champion in Wales.” So which is it – Leader or Champion? The two terms aren’t as mutually interchangeable as you might at first imagine.
The site also sets out that Welsh Labour will hold five regional hustings across Wales. These will be the official party hustings events and will be for party members only. There will of course be other hustings events held around the country by other interested organisations, but these are the party sanctioned ones and therefore take on a particular importance:
The regional hustings have already been the subject of some controversy even before they have happened. The Western Mail reported at the weekend that some Labour members were unhappy that all questions to candidates at the events would be pre-screened. The Mail indicated this would be confirmed when the official Welsh Labour campaign website went live, but the site does not contain any details on submitting questions. So have the procedures been amended?
The site also makes clear a particular ambition which will prove to be compulsive viewing for WalesHome.org at least: “Welsh Labour is seeking to organise one televised hustings so that other people have a chance to see the candidates before the election closes.” Come on then broadcasters, let’s pin this one down. It’s an offer too good to refuse.
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3 Comments
It’s a better effort from Labour but in regards to the overall Welsh Labour movement our web campaigning techniques and quality of websites are still lagging far behind the competition.
“The regional hustings have already been the subject of some controversy even before they have happened. The Western Mail reported at the weekend that some Labour members were unhappy that all questions to candidates at the events would be pre-screened. ”
That’s it? After all the coverage of the leadership campaign you have done, which has been good by the way, that’s all you have to say on the labour plans to fix their hustings and the outrage of ordinary members. why are you trying to gloss over it?
“That’s it? After all the coverage of the leadership campaign you have done, which has been good by the way, that’s all you have to say on the labour plans to fix their hustings and the outrage of ordinary members. why are you trying to gloss over it?”
I’m not trying to gloss over anything. Being straight with you, all I’ve seen on this story is the report in the Western Mail. I was waiting until the Welsh Labour website went live in order to see whether the article was substantiated, since the original allegation indicated the offending rules would be set out on the website. They aren’t there and I’ve pointed this out. As far I can see this morning, The Hearth is the only blog to have pointed that out.
That doesn’t mean the questions aren’t going to be pre-screened, it just means I don’t know. The plans to pre-screen could have been abandoned, or they may still be under consideration, or they may be being implemented but without that being declared.
When I next see people from the campaign teams I’ll raise it to see what’s happening and whether they agree there’s outrage out there. To be honest, there hasn’t really been that much noise outside a single newspaper article. That’s not to say that people aren’t angry, it’s just a case of me not really knowing until I talk to a few people.