Though Labour has never held a full majority in the Welsh Senedd, it has been the dominant party ever since devolution. However, in the run up to this election, polls suggested the party was likely to lose at least one seat, maybe more, with the Tories and Plaid Cymru making gains (mostly due to the collapse of UKIP post Brexit).
In the event, Labour did better than expected, gaining a seat from Plaid Cymru, one short of a majority and enough to be considered a successful result. And it's success for a left wing Labour leader who backed Jeremy Corbyn from the outset.
So how did a mild mannered Labour left winger do it?
Like Nicola Sturgeon, Drakeford has been a safe pair of hands with covid. Not only that, but he has led by example, living in the garden hut to protect his shielding wife and mother in law and has a reputation for warmth and kindness. Clearly such virtues are appealing to voters, who are not always impressed with the behaviour of flashier and less honest politicians.
And like the SNP, Welsh Labour was able to articulate a clear message that was attractive to voters. It's manifesto was based on six pledges, that included promoting recovery in the NHS and schools, support for young people, pay increases for carers, tackling environmental issues such as plastic pollution and job creation. Not the most radical agenda to be sure, but it certainly puts paid to the lie that public won’t vote for left wing policies.
While Drakeford’s post-election announcement that Wales will be trialling basic income, suggests that Welsh Labour might be brave enough initiate a policy as transformative as Nye Bevan's NHS.
Competence, plus vision, heart and courage. We’re beginning to detect a pattern here, has Sir Keir worked it out yet?
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