1999 Welsh Labour leadership election

The 1999 Welsh Labour leadership election was held on 20 February 1999. Alun Michael was elected as Labour's nominee for First Secretary.[1] Michael would go on to become First Secretary in a minority Labour government following the 1999 Assembly election. Runner up Rhodri Morgan went on to serve in Michael's first cabinet and then succeeded him as First Secretary in February 2000.

1999 Welsh Labour leadership election
20 February
 
Candidate Alun Michael Rhodri Morgan
Overall Result 52.7% 47.3%
Affiliated unions 64.0% 36.0%
Party members 35.7% 64.3%
Elected officials 58.4% 41.6%
Leader before election

Ron Davies

 Elected Leader

Alun Michael

Background

In the 1997 general election, the Labour Party won a landslide victory against the governing Conservative Party, returning to government after 18 years in opposition.[2] Labour's election manifesto included a commitment to hold a devolution referendum in Wales to determine whether to establish a devolved Welsh assembly.[3] The 1997 Welsh devolution referendum returned a narrow majority in favour of devolution and led to the establishment of the devolved National Assembly for Wales in May 1999.[4][5] The assembly would be led by the First Secretary of Wales.[4] As Labour was expected to win the most seats in the first election to the assembly, scheduled for May 1999, its leader in Wales would likely become the inaugural first secretary.[6][7]

Rhodri Morgan, the Labour MP for Cardiff West, and Ron Davies, the secretary of state for Wales and Labour MP for Caerphilly, contested the 1998 Welsh Labour leadership election to become leader of the Labour Party in Wales and therefore its nominee for first secretary. Davies won the election but had to resign shortly after when he was involved in an alleged gay sex scandal in Clapham Common. Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed the Blairite Alun Michael to succeed Davies as Welsh secretary and planned for him to become the first secretary without a leadership election.[7] This appointment was made to prevent Morgan, who had a long-held ambition to lead the assembly,[8] from becoming Labour's leader in Wales.[9]

Electoral system

The new leader was elected using an Electoral College in which the votes of elected officials (Welsh Labour MPs, MEPs and assembly candidates), individual members and affiliates were weighted equally at a share of one-third each.

Candidates

A third candidate, Swansea-based businessman and lawyer, Roger Warren Evans announced his intention to run saying he would be the party's "rank and file" representative,[10] although ultimately he didn't stand.

Result
Candidate
 Affiliated
members
(33.3%)		 Individual
members
(33.3%)		 Elected
members
(33.3%)		 Total
Alun Michael MP 64.0% 35.7% 58.4% 52.7%
Rhodri Morgan MP 36.0% 64.3% 41.6% 47.3%

References
  1. "WELSH PARTY LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS 1998-2016". Tom Quinn, Senior Lecturer in Government, University of Essex. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  2. "Labour routs Tories in historic election". BBC News. 2 May 1997. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  3. "History of devolution". Senedd. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  4. Torrance, David (30 January 2023). Devolution in Wales: "A process, not an event" (PDF). House of Commons Library. pp. 13–14. CBP8318. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  5. Lane-Mercier, Gillian; Merkle, Denise; Koustas, Jane (30 December 2018). Minority Languages, National Languages, and Official Language Policies. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-7735-5588-4.
  6. "Davies beats off backbench challenge". BBC News. 19 September 1998. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  7. Hyman, Gavin (14 January 2021). "Morgan, (Hywel) Rhodri (1939–2017)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000380313. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  8. Womersley, Tara; Smale, Will (6 November 1998). "Alun Michael makes bid to lead assembly". South Wales Echo. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Phillips, Ioan (20 July 2021). "MORGAN, HYWEL RHODRI (1939 - 2017), politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  10. "New contender for Welsh Labour leader". BBC News. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
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