Jeremy Miles, a candidate for Welsh Labour leader, has criticised the way that Unite – Wales’ largest trade union – declared its candidate of choice. The union held a hustings with two candidates – Economy Minister Vaughan Gething and Education Minister Jeremy Miles – and later announced its backing for Mr Gething. It has since emerged that Mr Miles was deemed “ineligible” for the union’s support. However, he claims this is due to a “new rule that no-one was aware of, had not been published and which hadn’t been applied previously”.
Unite defended the process and stated that it was carried out correctly, adding that the unions’ rules conference last year decided that only candidates who had held elected lay office as representatives of workers were eligible for endorsement. As a result, the union said, Mr Miles was ineligible for nomination.
Mr Miles and Mr Gething are vying to succeed Mark Drakeford as Welsh Labour leader and first minister, with voting open to Welsh Labour members as well as members of certain affiliated organisations, which include unions such as Unite.
Some regard Unite’s endorsement as significant, as their members can also vote in the election. The message from the top can hold significant sway among voters, leading some to question if there might be other candidates for the leadership who would otherwise seek union-backed endorsement.
Mr Miles expressed his disappointment over the rule change, stating that “members will rightly expect that rules to nominate a candidate for the next leader of our party and our government should be transparent and be applied fairly”. However, Mr Gething’s campaign said it was “proud and honoured to welcome Unite’s nomination
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