Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Yesterday the Western Mail reported that Labour insiders are looking outside the Assembly for a possible successor to Rhodri Morgan as First Minister. Both AMs who were named in the article- Gwenda Thomas AM for Neath, and Karen Sinclair AM in Clwyd South have stated clearly that they will not stand down for either Peter Hain or Eluned Morgan MEP.

Frankly, I think it is absurd that Peter Hain is even a consideration at this point in time given that he is still waiting to hear whether he will face criminal charges arising out of the police investigation into his late declaration of donations. Attempting to shrug off the mess that Peter Hain has created due to this investigation, both for the Labour party in Neath and Nationally, is not something that the Labour party in Wales, or Hain’s supporters should be allowed to do over night. Peter Hain has nowhere else to go, and that is why he is no doubt so keen on entering the National Assembly for a last ditch attempt at power and glory.

 But will he be up to the job following his turbulent year in politics? One constituent who came to see me at my office informed me that Peter Hain was almost asleep during a casework meeting with said constituent recently. Hardly a man ready and rearing for a leadership contest!  After doing so tragically in the UK Labour Party Deputy Leader race, shouldn’t he just put his efforts elsewhere?

I don’t think that I am being too harsh on Peter Hain. He is a media mastermind, and is seeking to wow the journos on all levels to reinvent himself as the saviour of Welsh Labour post Rhodri. It doesn’t do Welsh politics any good if there is a portrayal of the fact that a leader must be pushed in from the outside. I would hazard a guess that the current contenders-  Huw Lewis and Carwyn Jones being two of them, are far from happy at the news that their attempts at the leadership are being undermined in this manner (neither too should Gwenda Thomas and Karen Sinclair for that matter…)