Labour’s Deputy Leadership Election
Thoughts on the Labour/Plaid Cymru deal will be relayed later. I think a little bit of perspective is perhaps needed before articulating a reaction, though obviously I feel a sense of deep, personal disappointment and disappointment for what may have been for Wales as I believe we could have, together as the three parties of the All Wales Accord done important, innovative and progressive things in government together.
The Labour Deputy leadership battle was a strange affair. There was certainly no shortage of candidates, and I followed the contest with some interest. John Cruddas would have certainly been a break with the past and there were many points he was making about contact with the wider party that would have struck a chord with anybody in a large political party. Hilary Benn was courteous, cerebral and seemed dignified, but, had I been a Labour Party member and looking to the future and trying to project a broad appeal to the British electorate, I think Alan Johnson would certainly have been my choice. In fact I was stunned when he wasn’t selected. He seemed to me as a Londoner, admittedly representing a northern constituency, a way to balance Gordon Brown. Given his background and the success he has had this would have been a marvellous image for the Labour Party. He didn’t seem to me to be at all chippy, and when asked who his favourite Conservatives didn’t, as Harriet Harman did, say that he disliked all Conservatives. I think that was a silly response and, whether true or dissembled, should have caused alarm amongst Labour voters in the electoral college that elected the Deputy Leader. If true, it would certainly leave one to question her judgement and general approach to life, and if dissembled, would indicate an alarming ability to say something just to court appeal. It may, of course, be the latter.
Within hours of being elected to the post of Deputy Leader, Harriet Harmon was saying that she had never said that a public apology for the Iraq war on the part of the Labour government was appropriate. It is quite clear for those who watched Newsnight, as I did, that in debate amongst the various candidates that when John Cruddas said that it was necessary for suck an apology she simply said that she agreed and thought it was necessary for there to be such a public apology. The issue is not whether there should be such a public apology or not but the inconsistency in such a short period on an issue of importance to the British people and to voters in the country.
It was also interesting that when asked who their favourite Conservative that not one of the band of candidates selected Quentin Davies (and this was some two weeks ago). It not known then that he was a potential defector within the Labour Party or was it? It seems not, or not at least at the level of the candidates for the Deputy post.
In the Chamber today Alun Davies quoted from Quentin Davies in seeking to present the Conservative Party’s lack of beliefs and principles. I must say I was surprised at his gall as one of two very prominent members of the Labour Party who have been members of other parties, in his own case Plaid Cymru, and in the case of Leighton Andrews, the Liberal Democrats. Perhaps he does speak with some authority. Like Leighton, Alun is very articulate and very able and I think we are going to hear a lot from him (and indeed from Leighton) in this Assembly.
