Confirmed: Former AM and MP John Marek joins the Welsh Conservatives
Bubble — By Daran Hill on March 29, 2010 11:01 am
Live from the Ramada Hotel, Wrexham, comes the day's big political news in Wales...
Ok, so this story wasn’t kept as tight as Oscar’s defection, and I did leak it on Twitter yesterday… But it is still a significant piece of news. John Marek is a catch for the Conservatives and his decision comes after several months of negotiation. It once more demonstrates the appeal of Nick Bourne, the quiet negotiator who has shown by word and deed that his party has both political guile and appeal. Of course this movement is not as seismic as Oscar’s defection, but it is a sign that the Welsh Conservatives have momentum. Undoubtedly their political opponents will attack both the Tories and John Marek. He has hardly been without his critics over the past decade and this decision will give them a field day.
First elected for Labour in Wrexham back in 1983, John Marek entered the Assembly for the same seat in 1999 and stood down from Parliament two years later. Yet during the first Assembly his relations with Labour became increasingly strained and, after he stood against the official Labour candidate Rose Butler, for the position of Deputy Presiding Officer, they reached breaking point. John Marek then left Labour and stood as an independent, on which platform he returned to the Assembly in 2003. He also returned to the position of Deputy Presiding Officer, and continued in that role for a further four years, during which time his relations with Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas became increasingly strained.
John Marek joins Conservatives today
And so John Marek’s political journey now continues. Oscar certainly seems to be happier than the Tories than he was with Plaid, and it may be the same for their latest convert too.
Yet it is not the first time that John Marek has worked with the Conservatives. Back in 2007 he held a joint press conference with Conservative candidate Felicity Elphick in which they condemned Liberal Democrat literature being given out during the Assembly Election as being misleading. And he also enjoyed a cordial relationship with them in the Assembly, as did former AM for the nearby seat of Delyn, Alison Halford, who also crossed to the Conservatives once she had left the Assembly
But one question which is puzzling politicos is what will be John Marek’s reward? Westminster selections are now complete so could it be an Assembly selection? That’s hardly straightforward as there are already a number of Welsh Conservatives ahead of John Marek in the queue.
My prediction is a little different. One thing the party is short of, though, are working Welsh Peers. Any incoming Cameron government will need to address this situation, since to my knowledge no working Welsh Tory Lords have been created since Lord Roberts of Conwy was ennobled over a decade ago. In the years that have passed several of them have passed away, including Lord Thomas of Gwydir and Viscount St David’s. The Tories need to address this gap. Perhaps that’s where John Marek comes in… But that’s just my purely baseless speculation.
Two other people who will undoubtedly be surprised by this move are two other former Labour politicians who have kept close links with John Marek. One is Trish Law, the independent Assembly Member for Blaenau Gwent, whose late husband Peter was close to Marek and followed him from Labour during the second Assembly.
The other is Marek’s former colleague in Forward Wales, Ron Davies. Speculation has been rife for some time that he too will join a political party in the near future. Don’t think it’ll be the Conservatives for him though…
Tags: John Marek, Twitter, Welsh Conservatives, Wrexham
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13 Comments
I find it difficult to believe that they would give him a peerage. Would it not be more realistic that a “long-term” Tory was given a peerage and Marek then selected in the vacant seat? Or we might be affording Marek too much importance. Is he really that big a deal to the Tories?
I may way off beam with my prediction of a peerage for Dr Marek…
REFORM OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS
HC Deb 14 February 1985 vol 73 c492
Dr. John Marek presented a Bill to abolish the present composition of the House of Lords and to provide for a new membership based solely on an equal directly elected representation from all the regions of the United Kingdom: And the same was read the first time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 5 July and to be printed. [Bill 86.]
Don’t know about that – let’s not forget that Marek was actually the leader of a socialist party until literally months ago, who’s now suddenly decided he’s a Tory, anything’s possible! Am I the only one who thinks ‘opportunistic’ is probably the best description of this news!
I just don’t understand this from any rational point of view, and this is speaking as someone who was represented by John Marek for much of his adult life.
I am also relieved perhaps that this story hasn’t really figured on Wales Online/BBC (other than Betsans Blog) because in the grand scheme of things this is a trivial event for the vast majority of people in this country. This story whilst interesting to me and to others who snort the political powder is of completely no relevance to the people on the street, and further demonstrates the ‘bubblification’ of Welsh Politics.
It is interesting though, John Marek left Labour because ‘New Labour’ had become too right wing, too centralised. He formed a party that would provide a true, left wing alternative; and now he joins the Tories? What is he thinking. My Mum laughed when I told her and wouldn’t believe me until I directed her here. This is a very odd case and I’m not sure what he is thinking…
My take is that either
a) He wants to be back in the Assembly and knows he is not going to be elected as a Lab or Ind candidate, and therefore has abandoned his principles.
b) He has gone crackers.
or
c) He really does see the Tories as the ‘Old Labour’ Party which he left the Labour Party for.
I agree somewhat about bubbleification. I’d never heard of this Marek geezer until he got mentioned on Twitter yesterday, then I googled him.
Loony leftie wakes up and decides he’s a loony rightie. Please, spare us. Just goes to show that there is no difference between Labour and Tory, and anyone who says there is are in denial.
@Daran
I echo other comments in that if he is willing to jump from Red to Blue he is probably willing to let a 25 year old Bill to slip his mind.
Or, he could let his lack of principles shine though, just like, you know, Kinnock.
This is a’ small earthquake in Chile. Not many dead ‘ moment in Welsh politics.
I put it down to a combination of a bit of flattery from Nick Bourne, running out of alternatives and a hankering for some more attention leading to a self-deception that the Tories actually represent the people. If the Tories win the election and start to implement the right-wing policies their membership in England want them to I wonder how long he’ll stay with them.
John Marek is simply a political anorak and can’t stand being out of the action. His primary motivation over the past few years has been his hatred of Labour and in particular Ian Lucas MP and Lesley Griffiths AM. I think he will probably stand for the Tories in Wrexham in next year’s Assembly Elections. The Tories are struggling for a candidate and don’t expect to win, so they have nothing to lose. Tories get great pre election publicity and Marek gets to play politics and irritate his former political allies once again.
The Tories may live to regret this when Marek shows his true colours (deep socialist red) which he surely will.
Lonely 70 year old gets breakfast from Tories. Ego pampered. Job done. Simples!
When I was a student in Aberystwyth, I seem to recall John Marek representing an avowedly ‘Marxist’ viewpoint, as did Dafydd Elis-Thomas (now Lord Elis-Thomas). Time and circumstances on the road to Damascus can lead to radical changes of position. But when a politician of ‘conviction’ makes what seems to be such an about face we are sorely tempted to seek an honest and convincing confession of the reasons and may be very sceptical about them.
Marek, despite his fallings out, could not be faulted for his independence of mind and unwillingness to be cowed – standing as an independent against former Labour colleagues must indicate a degree of courage, whatever else.
In the mean time, if we give him the benefit of the doubt, it might be worth asking whether we are seeing the emergence of a Conservative party in Wales that reflects some of the shadings of old, and of politicians who are not constrained by Anglo-centric templates of thinking for their parties? Would it not be good to have some stalwarts with strength of character, in the tradition of S.O.Davies, whatever their political colour?
Or is this the political equivalent of post-modernist liberal theology or ‘dumbing down’ – all roads lead to equally valid positions and each to his (or her) own inner light? If Marek intends to play a public political role, then he should make his case: isn’t it better he do that within the constraints of party discipline and an ideological framework (whether his choice is credible or not the voters can judge)? Looking to the Assembly of the future, do we want parties representing a broad church of beliefs and opinions or do we want a pot pourri of ‘independent’ members and small parties of infinitely shaded principles?
As someone who courted the RMT union for funding and donations and invited Bob Crow to talk at several Forward Wales events, how does the Conservative John Marek feel about the upcoming RMT strike? Presumably he will be manning the picket lines. Or perhaps for him ‘solidarity’ means nothing now that he is a Tory.
I was active in Wrexham Labour Party in the early 90s. Although I appreciate the sincerity of the political analysis here, and speculations that Dr. Marek might have a deep laid plan or hidden agenda, I think a more plausible explanation is simply that Dr. Marek isn’t very good at getting on with people and when rebuffed has always tended to look for other outlets for his personal ambitions. I remember him talking about entering the Assembly convinced that as a former MP he would have a place ‘at the top table’. When this didn’t happen he turned to baiting the local council and sought the deputy speakership and I think it was the exasperation of local activists and councillors (by no means a gang of New Labour enthusiasts, I recall) that saw him de-selected rather than concerns about disloyalty to the Labour Party in the Assembly. (Of couse, lazy journalism and a search for opportunist political cover meant this was easily glossed as an Old vs. New Labour issue). I felt extremely sorry for the sincere socialists who became caught up in the John Marek Independent Party and while I have often wished that there was an independent Welsh socialist party, personal knowledge of Dr. M’s foibles convinced me that Forward Wales could not be it. I would be highly entertained if Dr M became a working Tory peer. I’d forecast that when he’d fallen out with his new colleagues (and it doesn’t take him long) and he’d concluded he wasn’t going to be given a position commensurate with his sense of self-importance (Welsh Secretary, Governor General, Welsh Ambassador to the United Nations etc) he’d be off again, citing a political difference which, inexplicably, commentators seemed to take seriously.