Loss blamed on Labour 'disarray'

Independents Dai Davies and Trish Law became the MP and AM

Labour's lack of coherence and Home Office "disarray" over crime helped lead to its Blaenau Gwent defeats, claims a prominent Welsh party figure.

Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews said his party had looked "divided and scarcely in control" at the Home Office.

After independents won Westminster and Welsh assembly by-elections, Tony Blair said it was a "rocky" period, but the party must go through policy "renewal".

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said it was difficult, but voters would return.

When so much of your by-election campaign is focused on the issues of anti-social behaviour and crime, to seem in disarray nationally on sentencing, policing and even the management of the Home Office is not exactly going to inspire confidence Leighton Andrews, Labour AM

Labour has been licking its wounds and examining what went wrong after losing both of Thursday's by-elections caused by the death of independent AM and MP Peter Law.

The result leaves Labour still without a working majority in the assembly, and opposition parties claimed it increased pressure on the prime minister to hasten his departure.

Mr Law left Labour in protest at the party's use of all-women shortlists to pick its parliamentary candidate, and became the MP at last year's general election.

On Thursday his widow, Trish, won his assembly seat and his former agent, Dai Davies, was elected MP in a seat where Labour used to hold a 19,000 majority.

Rhodri Morgan says he is accustomed to minority government

On Saturday Mr Blair told Labour's National Policy Forum: "This is the time to hold firm, to make the right decisions for the country, no matter how difficult; to face up to the tough challenges no matter how daunting."

Mr Andrews, whose constituency is also a traditional Labour south Wales valleys seat, said the results were "dreadfully disappointing," even though he pointed to the party having increased its share of the vote and cut the independent majority.

Writing on the website Labour home, he said the party had faced significantly less hostility in the constituency, but the "unique circumstances" and events at both UK and Welsh level meant Labour "did not look coherent".

"At UK level we looked divided and scarcely in control of events, not least in the Home Office field," Mr Andrews wrote.

"When so much of your by-election campaign is focused on the issues of anti-social behaviour and crime, to seem in disarray nationally on sentencing, policing and even the management of the Home Office is not exactly going to inspire confidence," he said.

'Voting cock-up'

He also cited former Home Secretary Charles Clarke's comments on the Home Office the week before polling "almost in apparent ignorance of the by-elections taking place".

Mr Andrews also raised the mix-up in the assembly which led to Health Minister Brian Gibbons mistakenly voting for a public inquiry he opposed on the ambulance service.

"Assembly events - such as the previous week's voting cock-up - did not inspire confidence either," he wrote.

There are many people in Blaenau Gwent - good Labour people - who said it broke their heart to vote against Labour last time and they were desperate to come home to Labour Paul Flynn, Labour MP

The assembly's first minister said people in Blaenau Gwent were natural Labour supporters who had withdrawn their support for the time being.

Mr Morgan said they regarded the administrations in London, Cardiff and the local authority as "not bringing home the bacon for them".

He described "unrelenting attacks" on the government in the media which "painted a bleak picture".

Mr Morgan said: "That means that unless you are very committed to voting Labour there is no reason you would want to go out and support the government."

Labour is left with 29 seats in the 60-member assembly, and Mr Morgan said he had become used to running his government with a "majority of minus one."

Mr Morgan called it a "massive disappointment, but "we will do our best to run Wales in the best way that we can."

Paul Flynn, Labour MP for Newport West, called for Mr Blair to stand down by November to improve Labour's chances at the May 2007 assembly elections.

"There are many people in Blaenau Gwent - good Labour people - who said it broke their heart to vote against Labour last time and they were desperate to come home to Labour," said Mr Flynn.

"Both Labour and the Conservatives are convinced that the harvest of votes in the next general election will be in the centre ground - this mushy centre ground. Unfortunately they are losing the people of conviction on both sides."