An invitation

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Posted on This is My Truth on 6 October 2009


I must admit I am fascinated by who will get the nominations of Jane Hutt, Brian Gibbons, Don Touhig and Mark Tami. But I doubt I’m terribly representative.

So far the attention has fallen on the process of how the next Labour Assembly Leader will be chosen, and on the personalities of those who wish to lead it.

We've been told about their voices too. Edwina Hart tells us she’ll be a strong voice for Wales, and Carwyn Jones we're told will be a voice for the whole of Wales. No news yet on Huw Lewis' voice, but I'm sure it's coming.

Of course these are all relevant to the choice facing Labour Party members, but the bigger question is what they would do.

With cuts to make to public services, what will their priorities be?

Will they continue to pursue economic growth or will they seek to place a greater emphasis on quality of life?

With Labour membership falling and its social base changing, what direction will they take the Party?

These are just some of the strategic questions that need to be addressed over the next eight weeks.

We will hear a lot about how the Unite trade union will allocate their share of the votes, and the relative support each candidate will have from Welsh MPs – and what that tells us. And I am interested in all that. But most people will be more interested in what the next Labour leader will do.

So here’s an invitation to each of the candidates to use this blog to set out how Wales would change under their leadership.

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