Welsh Labour: Still A Satellite Party.

Gareth Hughes, reports that “The Labour Party is, now a de facto federal party recognised by party leadership across the UK.” so claims Leighton Andrews in a speech to the Clwyd South Labour Party, last Night

His argument is based on the claim that 

“The leader of the Labour MSPs is formally the Leader of Scottish Labour. In Wales, Carwyn is the only person elected by the whole of the party in Wales, and is recognised as Welsh Labour leader. 

So prehapss Leighton, can answer these questions?

• Are Welsh Labour separately registered with the Electoral Commission under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act,[4] ?
• Are they part of a federal organisation (such as the relationship between the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats, for example)?
• Welsh Labour may have autonomy in policy formulation for those areas now devolved  to theWelsh Assembly, But can he supply a list of these areas where Welsh Labour have significantly differed from Labou rUK leader that caused a major rift?
• If it is a de facto Federal Party why isn't there a "English Labour"?
• Where does Welsh Labour receive its funding from ? How much of its expenditure in Wales is actually raised here?
• If Labour won the next General Election and Owen Smith became Welsh Secretary . Who would Ed Milliband regard as Welsh Leader. Who would have his ear?
• What of the position of the SDLP in Northern Ireland  who have ties with the Parliamentary Labour Party, whose whip they informally accept. and who sit on the government benches when Labour are in power.

I'm afraid Labour in Wales are still what Plaid, used to cal a Satellite Party and much of its autonomy is delusional, being finacially dependent on the central party.Its leader Carwyn Jones, is only of use because . He is the only Labour UK leader with any real power. Once Labour are back in power in Westminster he will be told  not to rock the boat and to concentrate on spending Wales' pocket money.

It may well be Leighton Andrews was expressing an aspiration but even adding the tag de facto to his claims does not hide tge truth that Labour is still a centralist party and Welsh Labour just a small revolving Satellite around them and who will be puled closer  to orbit  its London HQ once Ed Milliband  enters number 10.