Wayne David, Labour MP for Caerphilly, has given his full support to Owen Smith, the MP for Pontypridd, in his bid for the Labour leadership.
Mr David attended Owen Smith’s campaign launch on Sunday in his Pontypridd constituency and has said that he will give 100% support to Mr Smith’s challenge to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The Caerphilly MP said: “Make no mistake about it, the Labour Party is in crisis. The Labour Party needs a strong, dynamic Leader who will look to the future. Labour also needs a Leader who will unite the Party behind a clear vision and a firm set of policies. I believe that Owen Smith is the person who can do that.
“I have known Owen for many years and I know that he has integrity, ability, energy and determination. Labour needs those qualities now more than ever before.”
Mr David has previously warned that the Labour Pary could “cease to exist”
Speaking on a recent edition of the BBC’s Sunday Supplement show, Mr David, who was among a host of MPs to resign from Mr Corbyn’s frontbench team, said: “Jeremy’s position is completely untenable and I really think that what he should do is look at the likely scenarios over the next few months and years and recognise that, though a decent man he is, his position as leader of the Labour Party has effectively come to an end.
“This is a crucial point in the Labour Party’s entire history.
“If the Labour Party does descend into total civil war then it is quite possible that the Labour Party may cease to exist.”
I suppose Owen Smith has good qualities, one of which is his readiness to change his mind. In the recent past he has expressed support for the removal of foreign tyrants, private capital in the NHS and the removal of Trident submarines. He has since changed his mind on all these.
Nothing wrong in that in my view, deciding that your previous opinion was the wrong one and making an adjustment is fine by me. The difficulty he will face is that the leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is well known for political consistency and his views are widely supported within the Labour Movement. He also seems unable to come to terms with the fact Britain has voted to leave the EU. Despite the democratic vote he says “I don’t think we should accept we’re on a definite path out.”
Too much of a mountain to climb and perhaps this will not be his time. The experience of standing will stand him in good stead for future tilts at the leadership of Labour.
Your last paragraph pretty much sums up what all this is about. Just political manoeuvres, nothing wrong with having a crack at bettering yourself.
Absolutely, afterall he is only about 45 and Theresa May is about 60. His time may come but not, I think, this time.
One or two biggish problems for Owen Smith.
On the Andrew Marr show on Sunday he said “I am here to argue for austerity”.He also has a history of obstaining on welfare reform bills, and certainly not opposing them .
He supports the privatisation in the NHS, an opinion derived from his time as a political lobbyist whist working in the Pharmo indistry.
He is both FOR and AGAINT nuclear weapons
And just today; he compared himself to his GAY opponant as being the `Normal` one with wife and children.
The final and biggest problem for all Jeremy Corbyns opponants in the leadershiip election is, that JC`a opposition to a nuclear deterent for the UK isnot only attracting huge swathes of reds and lefts in the party membership, but, he is also being said to be hoovering up votes from parents and families who oppose nuclear weapons as their chidrens and grandchildrens futures, the votes of middle England parents and families who are those voters required to make a party electable, in short, the `moderates` so he now appeals to the lefts, the reds, and now in increasing numbers , the moderates. You could`nt make it up and certainly I dont think this senario could be by design.
I understand he (Owen Smith) has retreated from his position on wanting privatisation in the NHS as he no longer draws a salary (£80 Grand some years ago) from Pfizer the drug company.
I think everyone knows that his chance is slender and that Jeremy Corbyn will win. This puts the Oxbridge educated heads of the Parliamentary Labour Party in a three way collision with the members and the leader. It will be interesting to watch but of course the ones we should have our eye upon is the Tories. We need to make sure they manage the disengagement with the EU in a timely and effective mannner. The travails of the Labour Party are of a minor consideration in comparison.
If I were Owen Smith I would be a worried man if I wanted to lead the Labour Party,
The endorsment of Wayne David MP appears to be `the kiss of death` to anyone who wants to be a Labour Prime Minister.
First he was a member of the gang who plotted the removal of Blair, not by democratic means but by writing a letter to the Times Newspaper deriding Blairs leadership, and promoting the qualities of Gordon Brown, once Blair decided himself to leave the post of leader of the Labour party, Brown slid into to that role eased by the greased slippery pole by Wayne David and his friends, He then became veryclose to Brown, and was `promoted` to governement position as his reward for disloyalty to his previous leader.
Brown lost the next Election
Wayne David then diverted his attention to Milliband, ( the right one first, David) but had to except second best in Ed, again he became very very close to Ed again accepting shadow ( this time) positions on the front bench, Milliband lost the election
Now Wayne David is pinning his colours on Owen Smith`s leadership attempt, having again been disloyal to Corbyn, his current leader,elected by the membership of his party, IF I WERE OWEN SMITH, AND I REALLY WANTED TO LEAD THE LABOUR PARTY I WOULD NOT WANT THE ENDORSMENT OF WAYNE DAVID ANYWHERE NEAR ME, HE HAS A RECORD OF BACKING LOOSERS.