A process of elimination

t seems that the dirt is already getting dished in the battle for the Welsh Labour leadership as fears emerge that Unite might be backing an (as yet) undeclared contender. But at least it’s all still reasonably fraternal - as things go in those ever-decreasing circles.

By comparison, the disgruntled comments from Carwyn’s camp a Labour source are positively genteel when measured against the reported level of rabid in-fighting among contemporaries in Swansea East. According to bemused would-be nominees for the eventual vacany left by Val Lloyd, membership lists remain the exclusive domain of desperate Stalinist party officials who cross out the names of the unreliable while the constituency militia zealously scans the skies for parachutists.

For some veterans it’s a return to the good old days where all that is missing are the arm-bands. Others however see events as a depressing re-emergence of a philosophy where the definition of pluralism is when you end up with two names on the shortlist by mistake. The only point of apparent agreement at the moment it that it all makes a change from slagging off the MP.