Welsh Labour leader hopeful Alun Davies feels 'imprisoned' by politics

10 August 2018

Local Government Secretary Alun Davies has described his time in the Senedd as "almost being imprisoned" by politics.

The Blaenau Gwent AM, has thrown his hat into the ring for the Welsh Labour leadership, said the party needed to reconnect with people.

Mr Davies is the fifth contender to join the race to succeed Carwyn Jones.

"I think the worst thing that Welsh Labour can do today is to say that we want more of the same," he told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales.

"By the time of the next election we will have been in government continually since the beginning of devolution."

Launching his leadership campaign in Tredegar on Friday, Mr Davies pledged to increase income tax, move power from Cardiff Bay to local councils and set up local energy co-operatives.

Mr Davies, who has been a member of the assembly since 2007, has joined a growing list of contenders hoping to succeed Mr Jones, who has been first minister for almost a decade.

Also on Friday, Health Secretary Vaughan Gething joined Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford in gaining enough pledges of support from fellow assembly members to stand.

Eluned Morgan, Huw Irranca-Davies and Mr Davies are also hoping to secure enough nominations to compete for the top job in the party.

Mr Davies said the public wanted to see something different from the party, which needed to "recreate that connection with people" that the party had done in the past, such as at the time of Aneurin Bevan, who helped create the NHS 70 years ago

A special conference in September will decide whether the new leader will be elected via a one-member-one-vote (OMOV) ballot of Welsh Labour members, or through an electoral college which gives MPs, AMs and organisations such as trade unions more weight.

The winner is expected to take over from Mr Jones as Welsh Labour leader and first minister in December.

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