People's Voice are after every council seat (From South Wales Argus)

People's Voice are after every council seat

12:03pm Monday 3rd July 2006

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SUPPORTERS of Dai Davies and Trish Law plan to field candidates in every seat in the next Blaenau Gwent council election.

The People's Voice group, buoyed by the by-election successes of the constituency's new MP, Mr Davies, and new AM, Mrs Law, are now targeting the council and intend to fight all 42 seats in 2008.

Blaenau Gwent council is controlled by Labour, who have 29 members. There are ten independents and three Lib-Dems.

The move came as John Hopkins, the leader of Blaenau Gwent council and Labour's beaten candidate in the Assembly vote, called for Tony Blair to resign as prime minister before more damage was done to the party.

"People told us they were not happy with the prime minister and that he should go now so we can recapture the lost support," said Councillor Hopkins.

Councillor Hopkins said he also believed a "sympathy vote" was behind Mrs Law's 4,000-vote victory a sentiment echoed by Assembly Environment Minister Carwyn Jones, who said Mrs Law had won on sympathy and not on policy.

Thursday's double by-election in what was once one of Labour's safest seats was triggered by the death of her husband, the former MP and AM Peter Law, in April.

Mr Law won last year's general election in Blaenau Gwent after standing as an independent in protest at Labour's imposition of an all-women shortlist.

Councillor Hopkins said: "People are saying, and I think, that it was a sympathy vote for Mrs Law."

The People's Voice plans mean there is no end in sight to the bitter rift between Labour and former members who splintered from the party.

Mr Davies, Mr Law's former election agent who won the parliamentary seat with a 2,500 majority, said People's Voice which has about 140 members would put forward candidates in the council elections "without a doubt".

Ian Morgan, Mr Davies' election agent and a Brynmawr town councillor for 27 years who was one of the 20 people expelled from Labour, added: "It's obvious a lot of people support us.

"We've got to retain Trish's Assembly seat but we're looking towards the council elections and we'll contest every seat. We want to represent the area completely."

Former councillor and mayor of Blaenau Gwent Rex Herbert, also expelled for backing Mr Law, said: "I think many Labour councillors will lose their seats in 2008."

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