The Labour party in the Welsh assembly has failed to get Carwyn Jones re-elected as first minister of Wales, after Plaid Cymru, the Tories and Ukip united against him.
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood, was level with Jones with 29 votes each after receiving the support of other parties who won seats from Labour in the recent local elections, including the Conservatives and Ukip.
Had Kirsty Williams, the sole Liberal Democrat in the assembly, voted with the other opposition parties, Wood would have become the first minister despite Labour being by far the largest party. “I was not re-elected to support a ragtag coalition,” she said.
The tied vote throws the process into confusion. Further talks between the parties are now likely to take place, and the current meeting of the assembly has been adjourned.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010
Well, well, Jones thought he would take the position as his right. Looks as if the cosy little talking shop days have changed for the better. Labour, as largest party, really should now choose a candidate for First Minister who is acceptable to the other parties representing the people of Wales.
Surely you would`nt want to deny Labour the right to put forward whoever they want to lead the party in the Assembly? much the same as the UKIP group, quite correctly, held their recent leadership election, and chose the individual four of the seven of them wanted,
With regard to the Leader of THE ASSEMBLY that`s a different proposition, but I will predict a deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru, when the dust settles. Leanne Wood could be the next Deputy First Minister, deal done, UKIP and the TORIES sidelined to the back benches, A deal between UKIP TORY and :PLAID CYMRU could not work and Wales would become ungovernable.
Naturally Labour can put forward their choice as leader. First though, they need to choose one that is acceptable to the other members elected by the Welsh public. Carwen Jones’ overweening arrogance and mismanagement of health and education in Wales are legendary.
A little diplomacy from Labour would not go amiss, rather than the expectation that second raters will be supported by the other parties. Why should they vote for Carwen Jones? He has had his chance and proved a liability. Choose someone else Labour.
Looks increasingly likely this afternoon that a faction of UKIP members will support a vote for Carwyn Jones, it may be the faction who side with Nathan Gill and are upset at his removal as leader of UKIP in the Assembly. Could it be that this split in UKIP will bring some of its members into Government in some form or another?.
Yes, so I heard. I can’t see any UKIP members being invited into government but you never know. Maybe Labour will have to come around to the idea that many Welsh people voted UKIP and they can work with the party after all.
Thanks Kirsty – Wales has had a rag-tag Labour government for the past 17 years, it’s high time they were booted out, they arrogantly believe whatever they do they will be automatically voted back into power again and again – let’s have another election.
If the impass remains I agree, one thing I dont agree with you on, Kirsty Williams is clearly a politician true to her word, she said time after time during the election campaign that she could not envisage any curcumstance in which she could support TORIES OR UKIP in the Assembly. And unlike the twisted lying Welsh Nationalists Kisrty Williams is true to her word.
The Welsh Nationalists do a deal with Hamilton from UKIP and Davies From the Tories, something Leanne Wood said, publicaly time after time in debate after debate on TV SHE WOULD NEVER DO.
Time for all those who voted Welsh Nationalist in the election to reflect on the twisted, warped intentions of Welsh Nationalist Politicians who make promises they do not intend to keep, promises, which when broken, hand disroportionate power to UKIP and TORIES in the Assembly which the WELSH public did not give them a mandate for. Disgracful events, but nothing less than one expects from warped power hungry second rate politicians who failed to do the business through the ballot box.
No deals were done. Neither Leanne or Carwyn had a majority. It was simply Plaid being a good opposition party in making the largest party talk to the other parties at greater length in order to form a government. Labour did not win a majority, though the way some are talking you’d swear they had a landslide. So they should have done more before this happened. Plaid using Assembly procedure to point out to everyone they DID NOT WIN A MAJORITY.
Using your logic, what gives The Nationalists the RIGHT to lead the Assembly. Unless they do deals with UKIP and Tories. they cannot do that.
They realy need to grow up and get on with playing their part in Welsh Governance. This manouver will rebound on them in future election after election, The Bright Young Things of her party stitched her up. And who on earth decided that the Welsh Public needed a lesson in Minority/majority definitions, again The Nationalist taking us all as fools, according to your comment.
Disgracful, but in fairness, not of Leanne`s doing, she was put in the frame by Adam Price and Co, the next Assembly Nationalists leader
the history of democracy: A democracy is a type of political system, or a system of decision-making within an institution, or organization, in which ALL members have the equal share to power ,{not just liebour}
Rambling rubbish.
reformed welsh nationalist????CONFUSED ENGLISH ROSE
No, honest, Reformed WELSH Nationalist
NO HONEST WE REALLY REALLY BELIEVE YOU
Good, at last !
well WELSH labour man, what is good at last is the fact that people have grown a back bone and are not going to put up with labour b…s…anymore….and confused english rose thats exactly what wales saw at the welsh assembly yesterday ..well done everyone,,
Well done everyone? Who exactly? Two faced Nationalists? also ran UKIP, or the failed Tories. The only honest respectable people to come out of the situation are the respectable and honest, responsible LABOUR members, and all this in the face of dirty, smelly and gutter politics deals done by The Nationalists with other also ran party leaders.
There is talk today that a faction of the UKIP group will back Carwyn Jones in a new vote, it maybe these are the faction who did not agree with their change of Leader in the Assembly. The Plots thicken
i have yet to find an honest labour if you do know one please pass their details on to me cheers,every one as in all partys except labour and the tv people and the cleaners and security and every one well done
Nathan Gill and Mark Reckless UKIP Assembly Members have agreed to support Carwyn Jones as leader of the Welsh Government, in the next leader vote,
Does this truely leave Leanne Wood and Plaid Cymru out in the cold, if so, thier manouverings realy have backfired on them, and will certainly be remebered for the next ten elections, they are now a dead duck party.
I do not support UKIP but, if this report is true they will have drawn many more supporters into thier fold in Wales.
And the results of the next ten elections are
2021-Labour, 2026-Labour, 2031-Labour, 2036-Labour, 2041-Labour, 2046-Labour, 2051-Labour, 2056-Labour, 2061-Labour, 2066-Labour….by which time Labour will have reduced Wales to a third world country as England will have become independent after the UK voted to leave Europe, the M4 relief road will still be pie in the sky, all manufacturing will have shut down, the circuit of Wales will never have been started let alone finished, but Cardiff will still have its subsidised airport and the rich will still get free prescriptions.
Just a question to the person calling themselves reformed nationalist, if im correct you stated you only voted plaid cymru once,how can you call yourself a reformed nationalist.you seem like a comited labour supporter, why dont you use your real name ,so that we can see if you will be standing for the local council next year,or is it the case of lets criticise every one but do nothing yourself David T Smith.