LEFT Labour members reacted with dismay today to the rushed timetable for nominating the next Welsh Labour leader.

Labour’s Welsh executive committee (WEC) decided on Thursday evening that nominations by Senedd members for the party leader will close before the start of the summer recess next Thursday. 

A Welsh Labour Grassroots (WLG) spokesperson said: “This is a missed opportunity to have an open, frank and democratic discussion about the direction of Welsh Labour after the disastrous Senedd results.

“Instead, members have effectively been removed from the discussion, and nine people will decide the new leader.”

Fflint Wrecsam Senedd member Ken Skates is the interim party leader and is seeking the nomination.

The party was expected to run the leadership race in September with the new leader unveiled at the party’s November conference.

Following the leadership donation of £200,000 from a convicted criminal to Vaughan Gething, former first minister Lord Carwyn Jones was conducting a review into leadership contest procedures.

But in a surprise move, the WEC has decided not to wait for that review.

The Star understands that the only nominee will be Mr Skates, with left-of-centre MSs like Mike Hedges and former TUC Cymru general secretary Shav Taj supporting him.

The interim leader supported former first minister Vaughan Gething’s leadership bid and defended his accepting the controversial donation.

“Just this week, the Senedd Labour Group’s decision to block a motion on fair funding suggests they’ve learned all the wrong lessons from the election,” the WLG spokesperson said.

“If we want to beat Plaid Cymru, we must be bold and show we’re truly fighting for Wales — not just saying it.

“Ken Skates’s leadership so far suggests he hasn’t received that memo.”