God Save The Labour Party

Ben Wildsmith

With Baroness Morgan of Ely seemingly set to join Sir Keir Starmer at the top table of the Labour party, it would seem a fitting moment for the sans-culottes to respectfully enquire as to their intentions for our nation.

Certainly, the coordinated statements of support from the Senedd Labour group suggest a preference for the abstract over anything as vulgar as a slate of policies.

Jeremy Miles, having relinquished his putative role as Labour’s Robespierre, set the tone for the upcoming coronation.

“The values she champions – of fairness, prosperity for all, a greener future and a strong devolution settlement – are ones which I passionately share. Welsh Labour under Eluned would reach out and represent all parts of our nation.”

That would be nice, wouldn’t it? It would make a welcome change from Welsh Labour reaching out and trying to throttle each other or reaching out for several hundred thousand pounds in questionable readies, for that matter.

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Midas touch

Prosperity for all! Huzzah! It’s time to break out the travel brochures and get on down to the Tesla dealership as the team that made our NHS the envy of the world bring their Midas touch to our bank balances

Who knew it was this simple? The Labour Party should have been run by knights and baronesses all along.

Dr. Hefin David, who is ‘proud to call Jeremy Miles a friend’, welcomed the proposed appointment of the ‘brilliant’ Baroness.

We move forward together to serve the people of Wales. I’m proud to call @Jeremy_Miles a friend and he has shown courage and vision today. I too will be nominating the brilliant @Eluned_Morgan for leader of @WelshLabour 🌹 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 https://t.co/wZXYIGz3kc

— Dr Hefin David MS/AS (@hef4caerphilly) July 21, 2024

Some voters responded to this splendid news by making tawdry demands for evidence of the Baroness’s policy successes in her previous roles.

Please name one success you can attribute to Eluned Morgan in any Ministerial position she has held?

— Nick 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@NickTFish3) July 21, 2024

If Welsh democracy has a flaw, it is tolerance for this sort of lowering discourse. Jack Sargeant reminded us all of the higher calling that resounds for our ruling class.

I’m proud to support @Eluned_Morgan for leader of @WelshLabour and Prif Weinidog.

Her skills and experience at the head of a Welsh Labour team can unite our Party and ensure we continue to deliver for Cymru.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🌹

— Jack Sargeant MS (@JackSargeantAM) July 21, 2024

Echoing the Baroness’s own statement, ‘There’ll be one of us and one of their mob, so it’ll be fine,’ Sargeant emphasised the need for unity.

Because, aside from effecting a green future and universal prosperity, the Baroness’s primary purpose is to stop her Senedd colleagues from fighting like stoats in a sack and prevent Labour from sliding further into public derision.

Implicit in this is the notion that a healthy Labour Party means a healthy Wales. It needn’t stand for anything in particular so long as it looks credible and keeps its internecine treachery out of sight. It is less a political movement than a royal court, within which legislation occasionally emerges having been ‘championed’ by one of the participating aristocrats.

Amongst responses to today’s news were reminders of the remoteness that many in Wales feel from their government.

We have lot of @WelshGovernment docs to show @Eluned_Morgan’s contempt of @swanseabaynhs maternity scandal.

This shows her character in one paragraph.

We were told by her top officials it ‘would not be appropriate’ for Eluned to meet public about her NHS.

This is her culture… pic.twitter.com/32poSvNQjf

— Robert Channon (@ChannonRobert) July 21, 2024

If it follows the UK Conservative Party in appointing a leader in office without so much as an internal contest, that remoteness will be felt all the keener.

In the imagination of its politicians, the electorate is anxiously waiting for good news about the health of the party. Certainly, any sustained criticism of it is treated as treasonous and grounds for accusations ranging from dishonesty to racism.

If the gleam of the Senedd building reflects the mood of Labour within its walls as this is stitched up to save its embarrassment, the rest of us can look to the crumbling, derelict edifices a few yards away on Bute Street for our architectural metaphor.

The Internationale is seldom sung at party events these days, still less The Red Flag. God Save The King seems more in tune.