Drakeford's final act: budget warfare and the search for a successor

Chris, What qualities would make for an excellent Labour Party leader?

Starmer will decide his successor not Drakeford

Drakeford grew in my estimation during Covid, but is totally wrong to relusen a Wales Covid inquiry. But Vaughn Gethin and the dame - Eluned Morgan as leaders, please no. The arrogance of both and the uselessness of the latter will mean the death our fledgling democracy. It heartbreaking.

Great article. Drakeford gets his name from where small dragons used to cross rivers.

‘Welsh’ Labour are subservient to the right wing Starmer clan. The latter will have the casting vote on the next leader. Very mediocre contenders for first minister with very poor track records as far as I can tell.

Gething, Morgan or Miles?! So a choice of three right-wingers who will turn Welsh Labour into nothing more than an office branch of Starmer's authoritarian neoliberal cabal. For all our sakes, perhaps one of the few remaining socialists in the Welsh Labour Senedd group will put themselves forward to lead a supposedly 'socialist' party!

I wish Mr Drakeford a pleasant retirement. I don't envy anyone the rough and tumble of politics and I know the man meant well and did, according to his lights, the best he could for Wales. Nonetheless, not for one moment need I consider apologising for certain scathing comments I've made in NT about his Administration, the outcomes of whose economic and health service management have been frankly lamentable and whose Lockdown eccentricities as well as Green activist excesses genuinely trouble me - and many others. But I don't expect my feeble strictures will have troubled him one jot (unfortunately for my own political preferences!). He will no doubt be devoting himself to more leisurely pursuits, such as perhaps an eventual helpful - and reflective - Memoir of his time as First Minister. Sincerest Best Wishes, Sir.

If those described in your article are the only plausible options for the leadership of the Labour party in Wales and thus the Welsh Government, its a hell of a depressing situation that we face. All are tarnished, with the possible exception of Jeremy Miles, with the brush of systemic apathy, sniping hypocrisy and structural obfuscation that infuses the vibe of the establishments body politic. Now more than ever Wales needs a Government and a head of Government that stands up strongly for Wales and vocalizes this in an overt and passionate way. There's little point in trying to construct reasonable arguments with a Westminster establishment that doesn't understand, let alone want to listen to anything that challenges the thick armour of the current status quo

He should not have refused covid families who lost loved ones, a Welsh only enquiry. Unforgiveable. Sending back 150 million pounds to London, and complaining the Tories have mismanaged the economy, not on in my books. And don't get me started about 20mph.

The next FM will be dealing with an incoming Labour UK Govt. Consider what we know already. Starmer and co are actively preventing left wing candidates from standing for elected office. They have fought to keep PR off the legislative agenda. They have declared that they will retain the primacy of Westminster in their proposed, limited constitutional reform. I presume a better finance settlement might be forthcoming but this will prove woefully inadequate for Wales' needs. Gething would be the ideal Starmer candidate. I hear from Welsh Lab indy supporters that he is seen as the least favourable for annibyniaeth. Miles being the more sympathetic. Drakeford is a wily politician and has trod a fine line in working with Plaid's nation building agenda, simultaneously broadcasting his unionist credentials. Remember, with regards to constitutional change, he is highly conservative. Ultimately, what Drakeford has proven highly adept at, is cultivating a voting base for Welsh Labour. However, I'm not so sure what he's achieved with it. The UK has long been breaking apart. The process began as the peak of empire was passed. The UK itself is the last vestige of the old "inner empire". Any person on the Left who espouses progressive politics must surely reach the conclusion that the UK is a vehicle of the political hegemony of a ruling class with its roots in a capitalist empire with global reach. Inequality and social injustice are built in as standard. The only worthy reform is its dissolution. We can talk of what succeeds the UK but its perpetuation is only to prolong its moribund symptoms. Stop pretending that Unionism is progressive - start imagining a better future and start organising for it.

Welsh Assembly ------ > Y Seneddd -------- > 'Time for a renaming / Re-brand ? An important art of politicians is to find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the public. —  Talleyrand, 1754-1838, French statesman & diplomat

Drakeford is delusional forcing his beliefs on the public . He’s ignored the Welsh people from day one being in office. Look at Wales today :- NHS in ruins . Transport in ruins. Business in ruins. No road building . Councils in Wales running areas to the ground. 20MPH road traffic costing millions and now we are being told that the Welsh people will have to suffer because of in pending cuts in the NHS and Education. And what do we get from Drakeford he blames the Conservative Government and Barnet formula . Not a single mention of the money that’s been wasted in millions

Drakeford is a disgrace. Giving money to develope a cable car to the top of killvey hill in Swansea 4.5 million. But of course nothing for EV infrastructure. And his policy on second home council tax is just extra money for the labour taffia to waste. Bloody labour are a waste of time in Wales nationally and at council level. Out of touch and out of time.