Cardiff Labour Split But By How Much?

Cardiff Council  Labour  leader Heather Joyce tonight survived a backbench Labour rebellion to keep her job as the leader of Cardiff council, 

Labour’s 46 councillors voted in a secret ballot at County Hall and applause apparently broke out when the result was announced at

The margin of Coun Joyce’s victory over Riverside’s backbench councillor Phil Hawkins was not disclosed to the group.

So even they are in the Dark let alone the General Public.

However there is a strong indication of the  disquiet in the ranks  as Trowbridge’s Ralph Cook,, still faces a battle to keep his job as deputy leader of the council. After two rounds of voting, he remained tied with challenger Ramesh Patel

And n other results, former council leader  Russell Goodway  widley seen as the  was Éminence grise on the Labour group was ousted as group treasurer by Plasnewydd’s Mary McGarry.

So should we be told what all the voting figures were.?

Normally it would be an internal Labour Party election of little interest and up to  the Party whether to publish them but surely  the electors of Cardiff need know whether the party is split to the extent that it affects the running of the council.?

Phil Hawkins has an impressive CV  just his political career spans the whole length of the UK (Thanks to Mike Cridland who pointed me to this),

 

2012 -	Member, Children & Young People and Economy & Culture Scrutiny Committees, Cardiff Council
2012 -	Councillor, Cardiff County Council, Riverside Ward
2007	Candidate, Argyll & Bute Council, North Kintyre & The Islands ward
2000 - 2003	Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, Colchester Borough Council
2002 - 2003	Councillor for Wivenhoe Cross Ward, Colchester Borough Council
2002 - 2003	Member, Planning and Standards Committees, Colchester Borough Council
2001 - 2002	Cabinet Member without Portfolio, Colchester Borough Council
2001	Parliamentary Candidate, North Essex Constituency
2000 - 2001	Chair, Best Value Review Panel, Colchester Borough Council
1999 - 2000	Member, Planning and Human and Financial Resources Committees, Colchester Borough Council
1999 - 2002	Councillor for Wivenhoe Ward, Colchester Borough Council
1996 - 1997	Member, Essex Environmental Forum
1995 - 1997	Member: Planning, Licensing, Social Services (LGR), Libraries (LGR) Committees, Southend Borough Council
1996 - 1997	Labour Spokesperson, Highways & Transport Committee, Southend Borough Council
1995 - 1997	Vice-Chair, Community Services Committee
1995 - 1997	Councillor for Milton Ward, Southend Borough Council
1994	Agent, Borough Council Elections, Southend Borough Council
1994 - 1999	Member of the Co-operative Party
1993 - 1995	Delegate to Southend Constituency GC
1993 - 1995	Chair, Milton Ward Branch, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
1988 -	Member of the Labour Party

He has been a member of three councils and seems to have a political ambition which is extraordinary .

One wonders how settled he is in Cardiff and how long before he's off somewhere else where work commitments take him.

Certainly for a Councillor  who  was only elected  last year to challenge for the Leadership pf his party on the Council and De Facto becoming the boss of Wales' largest Council  speaks volumes of his ambition.

Perhaps Labour Councillors, were wise to stick with their current leader for now ?

But it may all well repeat itself next year and it looks like a deeply divided party.