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BIG DAY today in the Welsh Labour leadership race (and no, I don’t say that every day). Two major hustings events are taking place. Tonight on BBC1 Wales at 10.35, Dragon’s Eye will be broadcasting a televised debate between all three candidates and an invited audience. The bay bubble is already buzzing with rumours of who did well and who said what. Tune in to find out.

Also tonight is the last of the five regional hustings between the candidates. The event for Labour members takes place at 7pm at County Hall in Cardiff.

Neil and Glenys Kinnock offer big name support today to Huw Lewis

Neil Kinnock pledged his unequivocal support to Huw saying: “I’ve known Huw Lewis for over 20 years and I’m voting for him because his rooted values of democratic socialism, his realistic sense of vision for the future, and his energy will provide Labour leadership that is clear, strong and always in touch with the needs and potential of people throughout Wales.”

Glenys Kinnock said, “I am voting for Huw Lewis because he has the background, the values, the vigour and the down to earth forward looking qualities that Wales and Labour need. He will, I know, build on Rhodri’s achievements, assert Wales’s interests at all times and renew the broad the appeal of our Party – all very good reasons for giving him support.”

The reaction? Huw is “honoured and humbled to have the backing of two such great Labour Party figures.”

Jessica Morden, Labour MP for Newport East and one of the key architects of the Lewis campaign, puts the endorsements in a context: “Neil’s endorsement for Huw’s campaign is a tremendous boost and shows how Huw has been gathering momentum with more support coming on board every day. Neil is a unique figure in the Labour Party, a hero to many of us who will never forget his leadership and the hard choices he made to save the party from what seemed like a terminal decline.

“Nobody knows better the qualities a Labour leader needs when the party finds itself in difficult times; the vision, the determination and the energy to overcome opposition to change. It is that radical firebrand tradition shared by both Neil and Huw that attracts so many people to the Labour Party and I’m confident that as happened with Neil, Huw’s leadership will deliver a Labour Party that is electable again right across Wales.”

“Radical firebrand tradition” sees Huw marked out by a supporter as a successor to Kinnock. The other day, a Hart supporter described Edwina as a natural heir to Nye Bevan. Come on camp Carwyn – who does your man succeed?