Senior Labour MSs face three-way selection fight
Labour is already facing a major shake-up after the next Senedd election, with more than a third of current Labour MSs having made the decision not to stand for re-election next year.Former first ministers Mark Drakeford and Vaughan Gething are among those standing down.
Parties are currently in the process of drawing up lists for each of the 16 new constituencies for the next Senedd election.They can nominate up to eight candidates per constituency, with parties to be rewarded with seats according to the percentage of the vote they win.While Labour would expect to win two of the six seats available in Afan Ogwr Rhondda, it might struggle to win a third.Winning three of the six seats in any given constituency would roughly require around 36% of the vote.Local party members will now vote again to decide who will take the first, second and third place on the list in the constituency, with a result is expected in the coming weeks.There are already indications from some within the party of a degree of anger were Williams, one of the party's highest profile women politicians – to miss out.There would be "fury", said one source.
Williams claimed one of the biggest scalps of the 2021 Senedd election, winning Rhondda back from the former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood with a 19% vote swing.The previous year she had been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to communities in Rhondda.While Welsh Labour said it was committed to a "diverse slate of candidates" in its selection across Wales's 16 new Senedd constituencies, the Welsh Labour government abandoned plans last September to force parties to ensure at least 50% of candidates were women.There were concerns about their lawfulness and whether the Senedd had the power to make the change.Ogmore MS Irranca-Davies has emerged as an important figure in the current government set up, taking on not only the duties of deputy first minister under the leadership of Eluned Morgan, but also the rural affairs brief in which he has sought to placate protesting farmers.He said last November that he had "listened" after making changes to controversial tree-cover requirements to qualify for subsidies. A former MP, he has served as a minister at Westminster.
Rees has been MS for Aberavon since 2011 and deputy presiding officer for the past four years. His current constituency contains the Port Talbot steelworks.Under normal circumstances Labour would have realistic hopes of winning three seats in the constituency, but as another source put it: "These are not normal circumstances."Senior figures in Welsh Labour are very concerned about losing voters to Plaid Cymru, while some of the recent announcements from Reform leader Nigel Farage suggested they were now also turning their attention to wooing traditional Labour supporters. A poll last month suggested that Labour had fallen to third behind Plaid Cymru and Reform.Previous polls had suggested the three parties were neck and neck.
At the next election there will be 16 new constituencies made of up of mergers of existing seats and a system of proportional representation.Afan Ogwr Rhondda takes in the former Aberavon, Ogmore and Rhonnda constituency party areas.Each of the three MSs are on the party ballot because they were nominated by their respective areas: Rees in Aberavon, Irranca-Davies in Ogmore and Williams in Rhondda.
A Labour party spokesperson said: "Welsh Labour has committed to putting forward a diverse slate of candidates, including women, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, those identifying as LGBTQ+, and Welsh speakers amongst other underrepresented communities."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Ex-Archbishop of Wales says retiring painful amid Bangor cathedral crisis
The former Archbishop of Wales has told the BBC that his decision to retire was the right one for himself and the to BBC Radio Cymru's Bwrw Golwg, Andrew John said the decision had affected him."It has been very painful and my mental health has suffered in a way I've never experienced before, but that's a consequence of having to make big decisions," he announced he was retiring with immediate effect just over a week ago after the publication of the summaries of two critical reports mentioned "a culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred", excessive alcohol consumption, as well as governance and safeguarding weaknesses at Bangor Cathedral. While there is no suggestion the archbishop behaved inappropriately, the church's representative body had said there must be a "change in leadership, procedures and governance in the Diocese of Bangor".After the publication of the summaries, he had faced criticism and calls to stand down, with calls for an independent inquiry into the archbishop, who will also step down as Bishop of Bangor next month, said he had little choice but to go."Being present at the meeting and [to] have people more or less calling for your resignation was like being in a nightmare," he said."I know the people who were in that meeting."I don't think I had a chance to explain the changes we've made and how complicated things are, but having heard from them I don't want to be a problem for them either."I think it's a good decision for the future." He said he did not feel he had the opportunity to emphasise the improvements which had already been made and regretted not being more open with the press to explain what was former archbishop said it was difficult, given the church needed to show whistleblowers it was treating what they said in said he did not know about the "drinking culture" around the choir in Bangor Cathedral."The idea that they went out after important services, that they went out until late saddens me," he said."It gives a bad impression of the diocese. It was a shock to hear about heavy drinking in the diocese."He said allegations of people making inappropriate jokes around children were "unacceptable" and that changes in culture were acknowledged financial mismanagement had been a problem and that a "lot of mistakes had been made".But said he was not unhappy that about £20,000 had been spent on two trips to Rome and one to Dublin."I'm not unhappy, because the diocese decided to have those three trips," he said."It's not extravagant with 20 people travelling." 'These things happened under my watch' He admitted he had not paid enough attention to the cathedral, but said that was down to his role as archbishop, which meant taking on wider asked what his biggest regret was, he said not ensuring there was a structure in place in the cathedral to deal with some of the issues and that he had been part of the problem."It pains me that these things happened under my watch and I'll have to live with that," he said."Bangor is a fantastic diocese."The damage done to the diocese, because I didn't pay enough attention to problems, is a burden I'll carry."He said he thought change would take years, but that the church would have to work together to ensure that change said he did not feel he had been mistreated, but added he had been shocked by some of the comments directed towards him on social media."It's been very difficult to see what people are saying on social media."I'm a bishop and a leader in the church, these things have happened during my tenure, so it's only right to give someone else the opportunity to take responsibility for the future."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Should you buy gold coins from the Royal Mint to beat tax? HELEN KIRRANE visits its home in Wales
In a small town near Cardiff more than 7,000 coins fly off the press each day. The Royal Mint, in the Welsh town of Llantrisant, is behind a modern-day gold rush, as Britons buy coins to dodge capital gains tax and seek a safe haven from global turmoil. Last year, customers bought a record £750million worth of gold bullion coins from the Mint. There has been a 329 per cent jump in gold coin sales in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, indicating last year's gold coin sales record is likely to be smashed. Nestled on the edge of the Rhondda Valley, the red brick of the Royal Mint's brutalist architecture sticks out against the rolling green hills. When the Royal Mint was moved here from London's Tower Hill in 1968, Llantrisant was chosen as its new home, in part because of the vast open space the site offered. The town's population is around 15,000 and almost everyone who works at the Mint lives locally. During my visit to the Llantrisant HQ, Andy Dickey, director for precious metals at the Royal Mint, tells me: 'Tax rules can change, what won't go is the inflation-hedge aspect of gold. [It] has always generally performed well in times of uncertainty and instability.' A major draw is that bullion coins from the Mint are exempt from capital gains tax as they are classified as legal tender, while gold bars and coins bought outside of the Royal Mint are not. The gold price has soared 33 per cent this year, with conflicts, trade wars and other fears fuelling the surge. This has helped the Royal Mint make bumper profits from precious metals, with latest figures showing it is raking in £20million a year – a far more lucrative endeavour than any other arm of the business. Investors are turning to physical assets. While holding £100,000 worth of half ounce gold Britannia coins on a tray, it's easy to see why. Each of the half ounce coins is worth £1,290.81 at the time of writing and there are 77 per tray, worth £99,391.60 in total. There is also the weightier and more expensive 1oz version of the Britannia coin, which costs £2,549.41. But no coin will make it in or out of the Royal Mint's airport-style security. You must leave any coinage you have on you in a safe deposit box, and bags are scanned before entering and on leaving. The Royal Mint typically mints 300 gold bullion coins an hour, or 7,200 in a day. Around half these coins are shipped to trade partners in Asia, Europe and North America. It also recently invested in a Precious Metals Recover Facility, which opened in August 2024. Here the Royal Mint can extract up to half a ton of gold for every four tons of recycled RAM computer circuit boards it receives. A significant amount of the gold the Royal Mint sells comes via its buyback service where people can cash in on items at home. Most British customers buying bullion opt for either Britannia or Sovereigns, the Royal Mint's flagship offerings. These come in sizes ranging from 1/10 of an ounce to one ounce and cost between £244.70 for a single coin and £255,205 for a box of 100. Sovereign coins are 22k gold and Britannia coins are 24k gold. Stuart O'Reilly, market insights manager at the Royal Mint, says: 'Sovereigns are having a resurgence in popularity due to their unique weight and heritage and their more accessible price point. 'People are looking at smaller weights for a more affordable entry point into gold.' Due to surging interest, the Royal Mint says it is increasingly working with private banking intermediaries on behalf of clients. Andy Dickey says a typical customer now spends £2,000 on average with the Mint. But some ultra-high net worth gold bullion investors have £20million worth of gold held in the building's vaults. Core customers are men in their 60s but women now make up 25 per cent of the customer base, up from 10 per cent before 2020. And demand from Gen Z is also picking up, although these customers tend to buy fractional coins at a lower cost. The Royal Mint believes the gold rush will continue when it announces its sales figures later this month. Henk-Jan Rikkerink, global head of solutions and multi asset at Fidelity International, believes gold will continue to respond well to further geopolitical ruptures. He says: 'We're entering a phase where traditional safe havens like US assets can no longer shoulder global portfolios. Investors must actively rewire their allocations in line with shifts in geopolitics, inflation dynamics, and trade.' Gold investors should know that investment in gold bullion coins from the Royal Mint is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Buyers must also factor in delivery or secure storage costs. Some of the coins never leave the Royal Mint and instead go straight into its secure vault where those buying gold can store it. Around 35,000 customers currently store gold, silver or platinum in the Royal Mint vault, with individual holdings ranging from £20 to £20million. It costs between 1 to 2 per cent of the value per year, depending on product, and is charged quarterly. The Royal Mint also has a sustainable gold Exchange Traded Commodity which is listed on the stock market (ticker RMAU). This fund tracks the price of the metal by owning bullion, which is stashed in its vault. You can also purchase a fractional amount of gold bars held in the Royal Mint vault through digital gold.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Paignton Zoo welcomes pair of nocturnal monkeys
A zoo in Devon has welcomed two rare breed nocturnal Zoo said the pair of grey-handed night monkeys, Diego, 11, and Baroo, 8, arrived from a zoo in Wales. The monkeys will share their new home with Myrtle the armadillo and gradually transition to a nocturnal schedule, said the said early mornings and late afternoons would offer the best chance of seeing them active. "We're absolutely delighted to welcome Diego and Baroo to our zoo family," said Nadia Gould, mammals team leader."Grey-handed night monkeys are fascinating creatures that most people never get the chance to see."She added: "Their nocturnal nature and vulnerable conservation status make them particularly special, and we're proud to play a role in their conservation through the European Endangered Species Programme."The zoo said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the species as are native to the forests of Colombia and Venezuela, but wild populations have declined due to habitat loss.
