Labour To Remain Firmly Dead In Blaenau Gwent?

Things aren't looking too brilliant in the South Walian constituency of Blaenau Gwent, formerly the home of Aneurin Bevan and Michael Foot and such a safe Labour seat that it used to be known as The Socialist Fortress.

But that was before the 2005 UK General Election, of course, when former Labour Councillor Peter Law stood as an independent candidate against the official Labour candidate, Maggie Jones, in protest at the imposition of an all-woman shortlist and won by a majority of 9,121 votes. As well as being an MP, Law was a former cabinet minister in the Welsh Assembly, but was relegated to the back benches after vociferously opposing Rhodri Morgan's "dirty deal" with the LibDems. When Peter died of a brain tumour in 2006, his agent was elected to Parliament in his place and his wife was elected as an independent Assembly AM.

You only have to read Luke Young's blog to realise just how bad things are down amongst the Tafia. Council Leader John Hopkins has resigned before being thrown out in a vote of no confidence, claiming he would rather be "hanged in one day, than poisoned in three weeks". And Deputy Council Leader Nigel Daniels has been suspended from his position following a complaint to the ombudsman for Wales over alleged bullying.

I'm glad I live sufficiently far away as to constitute a genuine excuse for not volunteering to canvass. Somehow I don't think there'd be much of a welcome in the hillsides for a New Labour spin doctor from London.