Socialist defeats Starmer loyalist in Welsh Labour candidate selection battle

Martin Shipton

Starmer loyalists based in Welsh Labour’s headquarters in Cardiff have suffered a rebuff after their favoured candidate failed to get selected for a potentially winnable Senedd seat.

Local party members in the new super-constituency of Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr decided to select Dr Lloyd Watkins as their number two candidate for next May’s Senedd election.

The top place was reserved for sitting MS Vikki Howells, the current MS for Cynon Valley as well as the Minister for Further and Higher Education.

Dr Watkins, who works as a senior associate for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, defeated Mitch Theaker, who is close to Welsh Labour’s general secretary Joe Lock and former First Minister Vaughan Gething.

Until recently he was head of the Welsh Government’s office in India, an appointment that had surprised colleagues because he was not a career civil servant. Sources have suggested that he was expecting to be selected for a winnable Senedd seat.

Mr Theaker’s failure to win selection follows the failure of another candidate favoured by Welsh Labour’s administrative hierarchy, Chris Carter, to be selected as the party’s candidate in the recent Caerphilly by-election.

Cllr Jamie Pritchard, the deputy leader of Caerphilly council, was the popular choice for the role among grassroots members. But he was removed from the shortlist because of some social media postings in which he praised Jereemy Corbyn when he was leader of the party.

Cllr Pritchard’s exclusion led council leader Sean Morgan to quit the leadership and the Labour Party. Cllr Morgan continues to sit as an Independent councillor.

Rules changed

However, although Mr Carter - who was already a Senedd candidate in the neighbouring constituency of Casnewydd Islwyn - had party rules changed for him so he could seek selection in Caerphilly, in the event he was beaten by children’s publisher Richard Tunnicliffe.

Mr Tunnicliffe went on to suffer a heavy defeat, getting just 11% in the by-election, way behind the winner, Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle and Reform’s Llyr Powell in second place.

A Welsh Labour source said: “Members have always known Welsh Labour have their favoured candidates, but recently it has got silly. An openly factional group seems to be in charge in Cardiff and they are aggressively pushing certain people. In Caerphilly manoeuvres to clear the path for one candidate led to resignations and refusals by local members to campaign. “It’s heartening to see the members are wise to this, and are voting for people with their own mind and with actual politics rather than just factional loyalty.”

Another senior Labour source told Nation.Cymru: “I don’t know anyone in the party, apart from those closely associated with the headquarters staff, who approve of the way things have been manipulated by party officials.”

'Ponty boy'

Dr Watkins, unusually for a Labour candidate these days, describes himself as a socialist. Promoting his candidacy, he stated: “I’m Dr Lloyd Watkins and I’m standing to be your Welsh Labour candidate for the new Senedd constituency of Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr. As a born and raised Ponty boy, I have a deep-rooted connection that makes me incredibly proud to stand up for our new seat and represent you!

“I am seeking your support to enter Welsh politics after witnessing first-hand how austerity decimated our communities and public services. As a proud cradle-to-grave socialist and trade unionist, I know that only a progressive agenda can solve the issues we face here in Wales, whether in housing, healthcare, the environment, the economy or in education.”

He was endorsed by retiring Pontypridd MS and former Counsel General Mick Antoniw, who said: "Congratulations to Dr Lloyd Watkins on topping the poll in Welsh Labour’s selection process for Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr. This means that Lloyd will be second on the list after Vikki Howells who, as the incumbent, is top of the list. I have worked with Lloyd in the past and know he will be an excellent hard-working Senedd Member, born and bred within our community and committed to traditional Labour values.”