With elections to the Welsh Assembly due next year, the red lights should be flashing for Labour
With all eyes fixed firmly on Labour’s disastrous performance in Scotland and much of England, last night should set alarm bells ringing for the party in Wales.
In 2010, Welsh Labour suffered what was deemed to be a difficult evening. The results at the time said it all. The loss of four seats saw the party take 26 in Wales whilst the Conservatives picked up an additional five to secure eight Welsh seats in the House of Commons.
Labour’s proportion of the vote fell by 6.5 per cent whilst the swing from Labour to Conservatives was 5.6 per cent.
Going into this year’s election, all the talk had been of Labour making albeit modest gains in Wales. As the final Welsh Political Barometer prior to the polls opening indicated, Labour were supposed to be on course to bag an additional two seats in Cardiff Central and Cardiff North.
With all 40 seats declared in Wales however, the results make for sobering reading. In the only bit of the UK that has a Labour Government, led by Carwyn Jones, the party saw itself make a net loss of one seat in Wales, whilst the Conservatives picked up an additional three to return 11 Welsh MPs.
This all comes on the back of results in last May’s European Elections which put UKIP in second place in Wales, less than 1 per cent behind Labour in the popular vote.
With elections to the Welsh Assembly due next year, the red lights should be flashing for Labour in Wales with election results going in the wrong direction.
Ed Jacobs is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
83 Responses to “The alarm bells should be ringing for Welsh Labour”
James Chilton
“….in terms of achieving electoral victory you can’t just appeal to those people suffering.”
Labour will probably have to adopt a Blair Mark II “philosophy” before it can win again. That will involve repudiating the poor leadership and unrealistic strategy of this election. It will be a difficult political adjustment.
Leon Wolfeson
Right right, no pensions allowed in your world, blah blah.
Thanks, Lord Blagger, as you keep fighting pensions.
Leon Wolfeson
By saying “labour is the party of working people not welfare or benefits”, you’re siding with Reeves.
Leon Wolfeson
Labour’s vote held up in Wales. What happened was *far* more LibDems voted for the Tories than expected.
Leon Wolfeson
Yes, exactly on the LibDems The Orange Bookers went right to the Tories.
But, er, what on Labour’s policies? They moved right, and sharply, trying to court those same LibDems. Left wing policies? What on earth are you talking about?! They were preaching straight-line neoliberal austerity, welcoming the welfare cap, and Reeves attacks on the poor…er…
Labour should disband and let a party of the left form.