Plaid Cymru are the only party for Wales. Labour just make mugs of us. How many times has Ed been into Wales to gain our support?
Because they know that people in Wales will still vote for them regardless of what they do or what they don't do.
Irranca-Davies: Welsh Labour must 'shrug off' idea it is natural party of Wales Welsh Labour needs to "shrug off" the idea it is still the natural party of Wales, their MP for Ogmore has said. Huw Irranca-Davies, who has announced he is leaving the shadow frontbench, told Radio Wales his party needed to "consistently re-invigorate" itself. He said the party was facing a "huge challenge" at next year's assembly elections, and the Welsh government needed to deliver on its ambitions. Mr Irranca-Davies quit the Labour frontbench on Wednesday. The former Wales Office and DEFRA minister has said he intends to play a constructive role in the rebuilding of the Labour party in Wales and the UK from the backbenches. Speaking on Sunday Supplement, he said: "We only get to be the natural party of Wales if we consistently re-invigorate ourselves." 'Massive crisis' He said the party needed to consistently argue the case that it is "good for Wales to have a Labour Party that is pro-business, pro-every part of Wales". Welsh Labour, he said, needed to fight "not only for people who are vulnerable, not only for people on low pay, but fight for entrepreneurs, fight for people who want to do better for themselves". Mr Irranca-Davies said he agreed with Jon Cruddas, who helped write Labour's election manifesto, that the party's election performance was arguably the greatest disaster for Labour since 1918. He said: "Even if you look in the South Wales valleys seats... in a swathe of those seats UKIP came a strong second, over 15 or 20% of the vote, so is it a massive crisis for Labour? Yes, I think it is. "But Jon is also right when he says, not only in terms of the leadership but, what we need to do as a party, as a body, as a movement, is to actually own this and say it is massive, now how do we front this up?" He admitted the party was facing a challenge in the 2016 assembly elections. "I don't think you can ever have a party in government that can simply say 'we have done everything correctly'," he said. "And where there are deficiencies then you have to front up and say 'we have not done the turnaround that we wanted to see'. "We do need to be not simply more ambitious, but state the outcomes we want to see in terms of education and health, and in terms of the economy, and be hugely ambitious for that. And then deliver it."
Labour leadership: Contenders debate record on spending Prospective Labour leaders have clashed over Labour's record in government in their first public debate in the race to succeed Ed Miliband. Former cabinet ministers including Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham defended Labour's fiscal record and spending on schools and hospitals. However, candidates from the 2010 intake of MPs argued that the party spent too much while in office. The debate followed Chuka Umunna's withdrawal from the leadership contest. The remaining candidates appeared at the annual conference of the Progress think tank in London. There was agreement that Labour needed to demonstrate economic credibility to regain power, with shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt telling the meeting that the party needed to be "trusted with public finances and the family finances". Mr Hunt, who was first elected to Parliament in 2010 when Labour lost power, argued the last Labour government "spent too much" and failed to "leave enough economic headroom to deal with the economic crisis and the recession". Shadow health minister Liz Kendall said: "There's absolutely nothing progressive about spending more on debt interest payments than on educating our children." 'Triumph of spin' But shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "The Tories have had a triumph of spin over the facts in saying what they said about the economic record of the last Labour government." The former chief secretary to the Treasury said the deficit did "grow too large" in the government's later years but insisted: "The last Labour government ran more surpluses in its first term than the Tories did in 18 years." Yvette Cooper, another former chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "We should never let anybody tell us that it was too many teachers, doctors or nurses that caused Lehman Brothers bank in New York to crash." Shadow international development secretary Mary Creagh said: "People have forgotten the economic credibility that the last Labour government had." She said Labour had built schools and hospitals that were "treasured in our communities". Ms Cooper, Mr Burnham, Ms Kendall and Ms Creagh have declared their intention to run for leader, while Mr Hunt told the conference he would make an announcement next week. At the same event, shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint announced she would be running for deputy leader. please log in to view this image Caroline Flint declared her intention to run for deputy leader The Don Valley MP told the Today programme ahead of the debate that Labour lost the election because "fundamentally the public did not trust us on the economy". Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw has already announced a bid to be deputy, saying Labour "must and could win the next election", but only if it "broadens its appeal by adopting sensible, centre-left politics which celebrate wealth creation and entrepreneurship". Former Labour campaign co-ordinator Tom Watson is reported to be crowd-funding a deputy leadership bid, while Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy has said she is "open to the question" of running. 'Profound questions' Barnsley East MP and shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher - a fierce critic of Ed Miliband's election campaign - is to run Mr Burnham's campaign, according to the website LabourList. It is reported that Mr Burnham also has the backing of Labour peer Lord Falconer, who was lord chancellor and justice secretary under Tony Blair and was close to the former PM. please log in to view this image Lord Falconer, a cabinet minister under Tony Blair, is said to be backing Andy Burnham Shadow culture secretary Chris Bryant has signalled his backing for Ms Cooper, tweeting that the next leader must be "someone who's been tried in the fiery furnace of public opinion". Mr Hunt said on Friday he would be be attending the debate - along with the other four hopefuls - to "set out my analysis on how we begin to understand what went so wrong and why". He added: "We must use this leadership election to ask some very profound questions. "All voices in the party must be heard so that we can have a full and proper assessment as to why the politics of nationalism triumphed in Scotland and huge swathes of England, and how we have allowed the Conservative Party to present a more compelling vision for Britain to so many millions of people." Ruled out Speculation still surrounds shadow business secretary Mr Umunna's decision to pull out on Friday, when he said he was not "comfortable" with the "pressure" of being a candidate. please log in to view this image Chuka Umunna is the MP for Streatham As well as citing extensive pressure and scrutiny Mr Umunna also said he was ruling himself out because of concerns about the impact of the bid on his family. A rising star of the party, Mr Umunna was first elected to Parliament in 2010 - alongside Tristram Hunt and Liz Kendall - before joining the shadow cabinet. Asked about the candidate who might win, Conservative Chancellor George Osborne said: "The Labour leadership contest has descended into farce. "But it's not actually about personalities. I don't think the Labour Party any more represents the working people of this country who aspire to a better life."
Unite warns Labour to be 'voice' of the workers please log in to view this image Unite's affiliation to Labour could be reconsidered unless the party shows it represents working people, the union's leader, Len McCluskey, has said. In a BBC interview, he refused to be drawn on his preferred leadership candidate but said it was "essential that the correct leader emerged". He also called for "a genuine debate" about the party's direction. Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall, Mary Creagh and Andy Burnham are in the race to be named Ed Miliband's successor. Since Labour's election defeat, the party leadership contenders, MPs and union leaders have been trying to work out where the party went wrong. Jon Cruddas - who wrote the election manifesto and is now leading a review into the defeat - said Labour was facing arguably the greatest crisis in its history. please log in to view this image Jon Cruddas helped write Labour's manifesto Labour lost because it focused on "micro policies" and now needed to fundamentally rethink who it was for and what it represented, he said. Mr McCluskey told BBC Radio 5 live's Pienaar's Politics Labour had to demonstrate it was "the voice of ordinary working people" and "organised Labour". "If they do that in a way that enthuses us, then I don't believe that the mountain that is ahead of us is un-climbable. "But it's up to them. If they don't, if they kind of inject more disillusionment in the party then the pressure will grow from our members to rethink. It's certainly already growing in Scotland," he added. The Unite leader denied that Mr Burnham was his favoured candidate, and said Labour-affiliated trade unions would organise a hustings where all the candidates could make their case. In the interview, Mr McCluskey also said the left needed to "challenge" UKIP, and he said there should be a debate on the free movement of labour. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image His comments follow calls from Mr Burnham and Ms Creagh for an early referendum on UK membership of the EU. Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to renegotiate a "better deal" for the UK and hold an "in-out" referendum by the end of 2017. Mr Burnham told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that he had been watching the changing public opinion and felt "a prolonged period of uncertainty" was "the worst of all worlds for business". Andy Burnham: "We need a credible package of reforms on immigration" He said the vote should be brought forward to 2016, adding he wanted to make the pro-European case, but said it was only winnable if there was a credible package of immigration reforms. The shadow health secretary added that if Mr Cameron did not deliver on reforms "we'll be sleepwalking to exit" from the EU. He said he supported free movement of people but not the freedom to claim benefits. Labour needed to make that change, he said, and have an immigration policy people support. please log in to view this image Rival leadership candidate Mary Creagh said she thought the referendum was "throwing a long shadow over British jobs and British growth" and "if it's going to happen, it should "happen quickly". The shadow international development secretary also told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme that Labour's proposed "mansion" tax on properties worth more than £2m should be dropped. "It alienated a whole bunch of people - it said that we are against them getting on and doing well." She added that the party needed to look again at its policies and make sure they "reach out of people who get on, want to earn money and want to do well for their families". 'Lost emotional connection' On the state of the party, Mr Burnham said he did not accept it was "ground zero", but Labour had lost its "emotional connection" with millions of people and needed to re-establish its reputation on the economy. The last Labour government was "not profligate" but "we did let the deficit get too large", he added. He said Rachel Reeves, shadow secretary for work and pensions, and "one of the best brains in the party", was helping him to come up with a pro-business, fiscally- responsible approach. Mr Burnham said he had spoken to Mr McCluskey since the election. Ms Creagh refused to be drawn on her view of Unite's role in Labour's leadership election, which will be decided using the one member, one vote system. In his BBC interview, Mr McCluskey also hit back at claims made by outgoing Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy that he was the "kiss of death" for the party. Mr Murphy had used him as a "bogeyman", adding that the majority of Unite members in Scotland voted for the SNP. Labour lost all but one seat in Scotland, as the SNP swept up 56 of its 59 seats. Analysis by our political correspondent Carole Walker The struggle over Labour's future direction is now focused on its links with the unions. In a passionate speech on Saturday, the party's outgoing leader in Scotland, Jim Murphy, denounced what he called the destructive behaviour of the leader of Britain's biggest union, Len McCluskey. On Sunday the frontrunner in the leadership contest, Andy Burnham, struck a very different tone. "I've been speaking to Len," he said, though he stressed he was also talking to business leaders and others as he musters support for his campaign. Mr Burnham and his team have been trying to shrug off suggestions that he is the "union candidate", saying he wants to unify the party. Read more from Carole here.
Unite union 'to debate Labour link' please log in to view this image Unite leader Len McCluskey said the union's affiliation to the party could be reconsidered The Unite union is expected to debate ending its link with Labour when it meets for its July conference, the BBC understands. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has suggested ending financial support for Labour depending on the result of the party's leadership election. But Labour's acting leader, Harriet Harman, said she did not think Unite would end its Labour affiliation. She said new rules would ensure "the choice of the Labour Party" wins. Unite sources say they expect motions to be tabled by English and Scottish branches, according to Norman Smith, BBC assistant political editor. Many SNP-supporting Unite members are questioning the exclusive tie-ins with Labour, he said, adding: "This critical issue is now becoming interwoven with the whole debate about who is going to take over leadership of the Labour Party." 'Completely silly' About 3.5 million union members are affiliated to the Labour Party, with a total of £11m donated from unions to the party last year. Following changes introduced under Ed Miliband's leadership, union members - as well as Labour members and registered supporters - are allowed one vote each in the leadership contest. Mr McCluskey previously clashed with outgoing Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy, who said he was the "kiss of death" for the party. Unite's affiliation to Labour could be reconsidered unless it showed it was the "voice of ordinary working people, that they are the voice of organised labour", he said. please log in to view this image Unite members will debate its Labour affiliation in July But speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Margaret Prosser, a former union leader and Labour treasurer, said it was "completely silly" just to focus on one group. "The idea that the whole focus of Labour's proposal or offer ought to be around organised Labour is just daft," she said. "We have to be able to say that the government, a Labour government is going to be there for all kinds of people." Paul Kenny, of the GMB union, said her criticism was out of date. 'None of that' But Mr Kenny told the BBC he would prefer to have a public row and "blood bath" now rather than in two years' time. Ms Harman said while she expected a "robust debate", she did not expect Unite to end its affiliation to the Labour Party. The party had changed the way its leader is elected, adopting a one member, one vote system, she said. "Last time the unions communicated directly with many of their members, sending them ballot papers with accompanying material only mentioning one candidate," she said. "There will be none of that this time. "The Electoral Reform Society will send out individual ballot papers to each member of the electorate."
Labour have lost they're way and are not much better than the Torries in my view, it was no surprise to me to see them come second in the election, this two party system has to be got rid of, it's an insult to human intelligence, and why most choose not to bother voting............
please log in to view this image Give him a shave and he could pass as Huw Jenkins brother................
This country deserve everything it gets for the stupid notion that voting for these minor parties helps to get a government that will truly and democratically wanted by the majority of the British isles.....Be prepared for massive cuts and more silly taxes that will be aimed at the poor and not well paid work force.....Local councils are the place for these minor parties where they can have some input and not in government where they are not worth the money we pay them with our taxes.
Hey Jager As I know you're so interested... I had an e-mail a day or 2 after Clegg resigned (10/5/15) laying out the process of selecting a new leader (I get a vote) and the timetable...the new Liberal leader will be announced on the 16th of July. Opening of nominations 13th of May 2015 Close of nominations 3rd of June 2015 Dispatch of ballot papers 24th of June 2015 Deadline for ballot papers to be returned 15th of July 2015 Count and declaration of the winner 16th of July 2015 Tell me is there any point in the Labour party conducting a similar process given that Len McCluskey has already picked the new leader for you?
some people are really fking stupid..............fk politics in Britain its rotten 2 the fking core, which leads me 2ask why are you fking muppets still pretending we live in a democratic country.
Labour needs 'revolution' to avoid 'impotence', warns ex-adviser 46 minutes ago From the section Wales politics please log in to view this image Gerry Holtham says Labour needs a product to sell before it can sell it An ex-adviser to Welsh Labour ministers is warning the party needs a "revolution" to avoid being condemned to "impotence" in British politics. Leading economist Gerry Holtham said he feared Labour's debate following its election defeat would be "sterile". Criticising the party's "obsessive focus on marketing", Prof Holtham said it needed to be "thinking hard" to find solutions to "real problems". He made the comments in an article for the political magazine Compass. Prof Holtham, who chaired a Welsh government commission on the finances of devolution, described Labour as being "like a company entirely dominated by its marketing department". "The public hears the slogans but senses the void behind them," he said. He suggests Labour can only "achieve an image of authenticity by actually being authentic". "Thinking hard about real problems, working out solutions in a tough-minded unsentimental way, boiling them down for simple presentation and explanation, that is the way ahead," Prof Holtham added.
