(Title Image: Twitter via @TheRedRoar)
At a special conference on September 15th, the Labour party in Wales decided to use a “one member, one vote (OMOV)” system to elect their new leader, ending the use of a controversial electoral college.
Until now, Labour leaders in Wales had been elected in a manner whereby votes from elected members, trade union affiliates and paid members counted were weighted to be worth a third of the final total. The decision – backed by 64% of those in attendance – now means the next leader will be decided in a straight vote with each vote counting equally.
The Unite trade union came out in favour of OMOV on the eve of the special conference, while a number of the Labour’s constituency branches and AMs all backed the switch.
The decision is likely to hand a significant advantage to the front-runner to succeed Carwyn Jones, – current Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West) – who is believed to enjoy more support amongst rank-and-file members.
