Labour braced for a bruising test

ONE of the Welsh party leaders told me before the summer recess that they had warned their team and colleagues to rest up over the summer, because it would be a busy eight-month lead-up to the Senedd election.

- RUTH MOSALSKI

Any hope that they could enjoy a few more weeks of relative peace was shattered when the by-election for the Caerphilly seat was declared.

It goes without saying that the death of Hefin David is a tragedy for all those who knew and loved him.

It is a loss acutely felt within Labour circles because he was a vocal and active participant in day-to-day proceedings and in the wider Senedd chamber. His partner Vikki Howells is a serving Senedd member too.

When the Senedd meets again next week, there will be tributes to him. They will emotional, heartfelt and hard for those who were close to him to hear.

It will be one of those events where a shared humanity takes precedence over party-political considerations.

But then in a very short time, the politicking will begin again, because that's the nature of the beast.

It doesn’t stop, or help the grieving process, but it will feel jarring.

That's already become clear, as campaigning ramps up for a by-election that isn’t just a run-of-the-mill event.

Labour doesn’t want, or frankly need, this by-election.