Welsh Labour leadership vote rule change considered

Welsh Labour is to consider changing its leadership election rules to the system which saw Jeremy Corbyn become UK party leader, BBC Wales has learned.

Labour's UK leader election system was changed to one member one vote (OMOV), where all votes count equally, in 2015.

Under Welsh Labour's current rules an "electoral college" weighs the vote equally between three groups.

The groups are elected members (AMs, MPs and MEPs), trade unions and other affiliated groups and ordinary members.

Welsh Labour acquired the power to change the rules at the party's UK conference in September.

Any changes would apply to a future contest to succeed Labour's current leader in Wales, First Minister Carwyn Jones.

They would also be used in a deputy leader election if Welsh Labour decided to create such a role.

A consultation on its new powers, which include control over assembly and general election candidate selection, will start in the spring.

Jeremy Corbyn won two Labour leadership elections under one member one vote

UK Labour's move to OMOV - with "registered supporters" given a vote too - was seen as helping Jeremy Corbyn win the leadership.

And some on the left of the party in Wales would like to see the same system applied here.

Swansea East AM Mike Hedges, a supporter of Mr Corbyn, told the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales he would campaign for OMOV as it is the "direction of travel" of all political parties.

"I fully support one member one vote, I think it's the fairest system," he said.

"Every member's vote counts exactly the same.

"I think that's really important to make everyone feel they're valued.

"It would be strange if Welsh Labour kept a different system [from the UK party]."

Carwyn Jones became Welsh Labour leader in 2009

Labour Torfaen AM Lynne Neagle disagrees.

"I think it is absolutely fundamental that we maintain the links with the trade union representatives that the electoral college provides," she said.

"We are a broad church, the electoral college represents all wings of the party and fundamentally also ensures that whoever leads Welsh Labour has the support of the Labour group in the national assembly."

Mr Jones has refused to say when he plans to stand down as Welsh Labour leader and first minister but there has been speculation he may go in 2019, after serving 10 years.

The leading potential candidate on the left of the party is Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford.

Other candidates who have been touted as potential successors to Mr Jones - Health Secretary Vaughan Gething and Economy Secretary Ken Skates - are seen as being more centrist, as are many of Labour's new intake of AMs.

The consultation will last a year.

Welsh Labour will ask AMs, MPs, members, unions and other affiliated groups for their views.

Mike Payne from the GMB union will become Welsh Labour chairman next year and will oversee the consultation.

He said it is not yet decided how a final decision will be taken.

"Whether that's ultimately a Welsh Exec [Welsh Labour's ruling committee] decision or whether we decide it should go to conference to discuss and agree, that's a debatable point of the consultation."

A Welsh Labour spokesman said: "Having secured greater autonomy we will engage with stakeholders on how best to implement the whole package of rules."

• Sunday Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales on Sunday, 27 November, at 11:00 GMT