The News that Education Minister Huw Lewis has announced he will stand down from the assembly at May's election brings the number of His decision brings the number of Labour AMs who are standing down to nine (out of thirty)other
These include presiding officer Rosemary Butler, Keith Davies, Edwina Hart and Gwenda Thomas.
The others are Christine Chapman, Jeff Cuthbert, Janice Gregory, Gwyn Price and Sandy Mewies.
Apart from Keith Davies in Llanelli all can be seen as safe seats.
With Labour set to lose a few seats there w
Mr Lewis has been AM for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney since the first assembly elections in 1999.
My first thought was that Mr Lewis may be planning on fighting the
Westminster seat in the forthcoming Ogmore by-election but apparently not.
On Friday, he said that "nothing is forever" and he wanted to spend more time with his family.
A former teacher, he took over as education minister following the resignation of Leighton Andrews in 2013.
He had previously been culture minister, and stood unsuccessfully for the Welsh Labour leadership in 2009.
Announcing his decision, Mr Lewis said it had been an "incredible privilege and honour" to represent the community in which he grew up.
He said:
Mr Lewis started of by being seen as somewhat representative of Valleys Labour Anti-Welsh Language mentality. Though he has somewhat mellowed of late.
With Labour set to lose a few seats there there will be undoubtedly see a few fresh faces on the Labour side of the Assembly chamber.
However anyone thinking it lead to some fresh thinking and a move to support for a cal for parity with Scotland when it comes to devolution is likely to be disappointed.
These include presiding officer Rosemary Butler, Keith Davies, Edwina Hart and Gwenda Thomas.
The others are Christine Chapman, Jeff Cuthbert, Janice Gregory, Gwyn Price and Sandy Mewies.
Apart from Keith Davies in Llanelli all can be seen as safe seats.
With Labour set to lose a few seats there w
Mr Lewis has been AM for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney since the first assembly elections in 1999.
My first thought was that Mr Lewis may be planning on fighting the
Westminster seat in the forthcoming Ogmore by-election but apparently not.
On Friday, he said that "nothing is forever" and he wanted to spend more time with his family.
A former teacher, he took over as education minister following the resignation of Leighton Andrews in 2013.
He had previously been culture minister, and stood unsuccessfully for the Welsh Labour leadership in 2009.
Announcing his decision, Mr Lewis said it had been an "incredible privilege and honour" to represent the community in which he grew up.
He said:
"Nothing is forever. I became an AM at the age of 35 and I feel now is the time to move on - for me and the constituency. I'm looking forward to seeing more of my family and seeking out fresh challenges."Lewis is married to Lynne Neagle, the Labour Assembly member for Torfaen. So he sees his partner more often than other members.
Mr Lewis started of by being seen as somewhat representative of Valleys Labour Anti-Welsh Language mentality. Though he has somewhat mellowed of late.
With Labour set to lose a few seats there there will be undoubtedly see a few fresh faces on the Labour side of the Assembly chamber.
However anyone thinking it lead to some fresh thinking and a move to support for a cal for parity with Scotland when it comes to devolution is likely to be disappointed.
4 comments:
Well Glyn around here the Unionist Parties, like Labour and Tory and Lib Dems are arguing over list seats. With the SNP showing a 31% lead they are all fighting to be the opposition, what does that say about the state they are in. Unfortunately the Welsh do not seem to have taken a tumble to Labour's uselessness in Government and that doesn't just mean Westminster.
"Unfortunately the Welsh do not seem to have taken a tumble to Labour's uselessness in Government" - its more depressing than that helena! if the polls are to believed the welsh are moving in worryingly high numbers to the bigots and little englanders of ukip, indeed some bookmakers are now running odds on ukip taking as many as 10 seats in the senedd in may. if that nightmare becomes reality it wont only be labour losing a few seats.
unfortunately the welsh political class dont yet seem to have woken up to what seems to be taking place among voters in the ground in wales. far from resembling scotland politically at present wales seems to be in danger of becoming somewhere like kent :(
Make it easier to form a coaltion after the election. No Labour former cabinet members looking on with a grudge.
Huw Lewis is no loss, his decision to cut Techniquest’s budget but almost 25% is appalling, but there have been rumours about him and his wife Lynne Nagle, the Torfaen AM having relationship problems for a while, that could be behind his decision to stand down.
Or it could be UKIP who have done very well in Merthyr in the European and General Elections, but I doubt Labour will lose the seat, they have an iron grip on Merthyr & Rhymney and his timing is awful because the local party now hasn’t got enough time to go thought a selection process, it’s likely there will be a candidate imposed by the NEC and probably more trouble ahead for them.
One of the main reasons UKIP are so strong in Merthyr & Rhymney, like Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen etc is the lack of Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrat or Green branch parties to campaign and offer voters a choice, apart from Labour, UKIP are the only party active in the areas.
And For all the need and desire for change, it’s unlikely Labour will lose many seats because UKIP will get them from the lists where Plaid Cymru, Lib Dems and Tories have most of their AM’s
Post a Comment