Labour's Big Fat NO to Wales

Welsh Labour will not be happy tonight. Not happy at all.

Labour's Shadow Cabinet elections have just been announced and not one of the 19 'winners' are Welsh MP's.

49 Labour MP's put their names forward for the 19 places directly available in Ed Miliband's Shadow Cabinet. Of those 49, 8 were Welsh MP's. But Labour's 258 MP's who voted for their top 19 candidates, decided against putting Peter Hain, Chris Bryant, Kevin Brennan, Wayne David, David Hanson, Huw Irranca-Davies, Ian Lucas and Alun Michael onto the front bench.

A Kick in the Teeth for Welsh Labour
This is a real kick in the teeth for Labour heavyweights such as Peter Hain and Alun Michael. Peter Hain remember was a former Secretary of State for Wales and held the same post in Northern Ireland when Tony Blair successfully oversaw the coming together of the DUP and Sinn Fein. He also ran for the Deputy Leadership of the Party (and it goes without saying, lost). Alun Michael was none less than Tony Blair's hand picked first 'First Minister' of Wales when devolution got underway with the Welsh Assembly in 1999.

But more than anything, this is a real red-faced moment for Red Ed and his Red Party.

Welsh Members Through the Back Door?
Ed Miliband still has the discretion of choosing 5 additional members to complete his Shadow Cabinet. If he has absolutely any sense at all, he'll make sure that one or two of those five come from Wales.

But in the meantime, I can already see tomorrow's Welsh media coverage. The Western Mail will jump on this 'snub' to Wales and it'll no doubt be a topic of discussion on Radio Cymru's weekly topical programme 'Dau O'r Bae'. Whoever's representing Welsh Labour on the panel tomorrow better get ready for some serious flack!