Sir Keir Starmer crushes Labour dissent in Westminster, whilst Eluned Morgan MS makes history as the Senedd's first female first minister, will she be able to steer Welsh Labour to calm waters?
Read all about it in this week's Who's Top, Who's Not.
Top: Eluned Morgan MS
Eluned Morgan MS, elected unopposed on Wednesday, will put the first in first minister as she becomes the first woman in Wales to secure the position. Her predecessor, Vaughan Gething was forced to resign after 78 days in the Senedd after being embattled in scandals and party infighting, at least he outlasted Liz Truss’s record of 49… and the lettuce that beat her.
Eluned has started on the right foot by securing a swift election alongside her Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies. Vaughan’s former leadership opponent, Jeremy Miles, decided not to stand again in this leadership election. The Senedd Labour Group has made a concerted effort to unite, which will be vital to stem the wave of frustrated voters.
There will be no honeymooning or bathing in the light of Labour’s larger general election win. Work must begin swiftly to secure the safe passage of the Welsh Government’s next budget and agree its programme of work that will last until the Welsh Labour minority government’s full term in May 2026. Eluned will be keen to return the party to its high standards and stability, which will be necessary to thwart the sizable inroads the Reform Party made regarding its vote share and to keep Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, at bay.
Middle: Sir Keir Starmer MP
Sir Keir Starmer has continued to rule ruthlessly as he suspended the whip of seven Labour MPs after they voted against the government on an amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap. The Prime Minister’s strong show of force will be looking to send a signal to other Labour MPs that dissent in votes will not be tolerated. Especially not this early on in Labour’s Government.
With such a large majority, Keir is giving “you need me, I don’t need you” vibes as the seven Labour MPs will now sit as Independents, joining Jeremy Corbyn for the next six months – fitting as some were the leading voices and faces in his shadow cabinet or on the left of the party.
With parliament only having been back in action for a few weeks since its barnstorming general election victory, it is very early to be experiencing a rebellion. Keir’s response was a bold one, with some pointing out that such a brutal demonstration was excessive when his majority is so strong. However, Starmer clearly feels he can’t risk letting MPs on the left of the party feel buoyed by Green gains and signals of support for Independent candidates during the general election. Time will tell if this move will be seen as ruthlessly necessary or excessively controlling.
Bottom: David Lammy MP
Living lavishly Lammy enjoyed our top spot last week, but could the luxurious seats of the government’s private jets be making him too comfortable?
Well, Guido certainly thinks so. Last year, Rachel Reaves promised to enforce ministerial rules on private aircraft for official trips to “save millions of pounds for taxpayers”. When in opposition Labour jumped on the opportunity to bash the Tories over their frequent flying on private planes.
However, less than a month into power Labour has appeared to conveniently U-turn on this mode of travel. On Wednesday, the foreign secretary Lammy used the government’s A321 plane to fly to Dubai (to refuel) and then Delhi. The fuel for the flight alone would have cost the taxpayer approximately $111,000. These champagne socialists, ey!
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