The letter reads:

Michael D. Higgins
c/o Irish Labour Party
17 Ely Place
Dublin 2
Ireland

Dear Michael,

I write to offer you my sincere congratulations on being elected the ninth Uachtarán na hÉireann.

On behalf of Welsh Labour Party, I would like to wish your Presidency every success in the years to come – during which I am certain that the strong relationship that exist between our two countries, will continue to thrive.

Yours fraternally,

Carwyn Jones
First Minister of Wales and Welsh Labour Leader

Starting together in Newport, Carwyn will head west taking in points from Cardiff to Carmarthenshire whilst Peter Hain races north, then completing a tour of Wales.

Secretary of State for Wales, PETER HAIN, said: “The choice tomorrow is clear: the Tories will make cuts to the child trust funds and tax credits of families in Wales on middle and modest incomes. By cutting the Welsh budget they would threaten free prescriptions for all, and free bus travel for older people and free primary school breakfasts. Thousands of jobs and vital public services and investment would go. We have only 24 hours to stop these savage Tory cuts which will torpedo Wales’ recovery and damage businesses.”

First Minister, CARWYN JONES AM, said: “Tens of thousands of people in Wales still have not finally made their minds up, I believe this will be a last minute election like 1992. Now is the time for the decent anti-Tory majority in Wales to come together to keep David Cameron out. I make a direct appeal to all those who do not want a Tory Government – don’t let Cameron in by the back door. Vote Labour tomorrow.”

The news that so far, 14 Labour Members of Parliament – out of a total of 29 in Wales – have endorsed Carwyn’s Leadership bid, means he has secured more support than either of the other two candidates in the race, in the important ‘Section 1′ of the electoral collage mechanism to elect the new Leader.

‘Section 1′ of the college consists of all Labour AMs, Labour MPs representing Welsh constituencies, and the Labour MEP representing Wales.

The latest list of MP endorsers published, contains the names of six current UK Government Ministers, one former Wales Office Minister and the present Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee.

Today, eight South Wales Labour MPs join their six colleagues from North Wales, who declared earlier this week, in going public to demonstrate their support for Carwyn’s campaign.

Such is the high level of solid support for Carwyn’s candidacy amongst MPs that on current pledges, he has greater numerical backing to become the next Leader, than the support of both other candidates added together.

Another striking feature about the level of backing Carwyn has attracted from MPs, relates to the geographic spread of support he has received from right across the country – underlining his claim that he would be a Leader for the whole of Wales.

The MP endorsements come ahead of tomorrow’s deadline (Thursday, 22nd October) for the submission of supporting nominations from Welsh Labour Members of Parliament, in the contest.

At an event held in Westminster later today, Carwyn will be joined by a number of his MP supporters, who have expressed their total confidence in his ability to unite and motivate the Party and take the fight to their political opponents at the General Election in 2010 and the subsequent Assembly elections in 2011.

The full list of the 14 MPs currently publicly supporting Carwyn (in alphabetical order) is as follows:

* Nick Ainger, MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (former Wales Office Minister);
* Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West (Minister for State for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs);
* Chris Bryant, MP for Rhondda (Minister for Europe);
* Ann Clwyd, MP for Cynon Valley (former Chair, Parliamentary Labour Party);
* Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West;
* Hywel Francis, MP for Aberavon (Chair, Welsh Affairs Select Committee);
* The Rt. Hon David Hanson, MP for Delyn (Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing);
* Huw Irranca-Davies, MP for Ogmore (Minister for Marine and Natural Environment);
* Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham (Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform);
* Madeleine Moon, MP for Bridgend;
* Albert Owen, MP for Ynys Môn;
* Chris Ruane, MP for Vale of Clwyd (Chair, North Wales Group of Labour MPs);
* Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside (Government Whip);
* Betty Williams, MP for Conwy.

Commenting on his support for Carwyn’s candidacy, Cardiff West MP, Kevin Brennan said:

“What I’m looking for in a new leader for Labour in the Welsh Assembly and a new Labour First Minister is someone who can communicate with the Welsh people, somebody with a vision for the future of Wales, and most importantly of all, someone who can help us win a victory next time in the Assembly elections, so we can once again form a Labour administration in the Welsh Assembly.

“That’s why I’ve got no doubt that Carwyn Jones is the right person to lead us forward in Wales and I’ll be supporting him in the leadership election for the Welsh Labour Party.”

Speaking highly of Carwyn’s abilities to become the next Leader, Ogmore MP, Huw Irranca Davies said:

“The reason I’m supporting Carwyn is we go back a long way and I know what he’s like to work with, how good he is at building bridges both with organisations out there in the voluntary sector and the public sector but also between Westminster and the Welsh Assembly Government.”

Carwyn’s campaign manager and Rhondda AM, Leighton Andrews said:

“We said last week that we were quietly confident that Carwyn will receive the backing of a majority of Welsh Labour MPs. Already 14 of the 29 have publicly declared their backing for him and we confidently expect a majority to vote for him.”

This overwhelming level of support in the north of the country, comes just days ahead of Thursday’s deadline for the submission of supporting nominations by Welsh Labour’s Members of Parliament – a crucial section of the electoral college mechanism that will determine the outcome of the election.

The latest MP declarations are the clearest demonstration yet that Carwyn is attracting the broadest possible spread of geographic support for his campaign, across the length and breadth of Wales – greater than any other of the two candidates combined.

The list of MPs offering endorsements, also contains the names of all three UK Government Ministers from the region.

The six North Wales Labour MPs (in alphabetical order) who are nominating Carwyn are:

* The Rt. Hon David Hanson, MP for Delyn (Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing);
* Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham (Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform);
* Albert Owen, MP for Ynys Môn;
* Chris Ruane, MP for Vale of Clwyd (Chair, North Wales Group of Labour MPs);
* Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside (Government Whip);
* Betty Williams, MP for Conwy.

Speaking of his backing for Carwyn to become Leader, the Chair of the North Wales Group of Labour MPs, Chris Ruane said:

“I’m supporting Carwyn because he’ll be the best person to unite the whole of Wales – especially North Wales.

“The fact he has the support of the vast majority of Labour MPs across the whole of North Wales – from Holyhead to Deeside – speaks volumes.”

In offering his endorsement of Carwyn, Albert Owen MP, said:

“I will be supporting Carwyn in the Leadership contest because I think he will be the best placed to express Labour values across the whole of Wales.

“We need to move forward, we need to have broad appeal. We need to look to the electorate at large as well as the electorate of the Labour Party. Carwyn’s got the leadership skills to take us forward and that’s why I’ll be supporting him.”

Commenting on the latest endorsements for Carwyn’s bid to become Leader, his Campaign Manager, Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews said:

“Carwyn’s vision for the future direction of Welsh Labour is resonating with all sections of our Party, and all the regions of our country. Carwyn will be a leader for the whole of Wales. He is building solid and popular support in every corner of Wales and we are certain this momentum is set to continue in the coming days.”

The support of Social Justice and Local Government Minister, Dr. Brian Gibbons, now takes the tally of current Cabinet Ministers publicly endorsing Carwyn’s candidacy, to two. And Labour Chief Whip Carl Sargeant, who attends Cabinet, is also backing Carwyn.

A clear majority of current Labour Ministers serving in the Welsh Assembly Government, have now indicated they want Mr. Jones to be the next Leader of the Party.

Dr. Gibbons is joined by Ministerial colleagues Jane Davidson, Leighton Andrews and John Griffiths, in declaring their support for the Leader of the House and Bridgend AM.

Championing Carwyn’s leadership credentials, Dr. Brian Gibbons said:

“Carwyn has strong and deeply held Labour values. The Party is ‘in his blood’ and that’s why – from Aberavon to Amlwch – he is the person who can reach out to the membership right across Wales. At a time when we need to build a unified party with a coherent message and to broaden our appeal across Wales, Carwyn stands out as the only candidate that can deliver.

“He demonstrated this over the course of the last year by tirelessly visiting every corner of our country, meeting and listening to the views of Party members.

“I believe Carwyn’s experience in Government – across a range of portfolios and at times of crisis – gives him a real depth and breadth in terms of his knowledge and understanding of the direction Wales needs to be travelling in the future – both socially and economically.

“He knows what makes good Government. He can provide leadership under pressure but most crucially, he knows how to make Government work for the benefit of the people – all of the people. This is what sets Carwyn apart and this is why he would make a great Leader for our Party.”

Declaring his backing for Carwyn’s candidacy, Carl Sargeant said:

“I have worked closely with Carwyn since he became Leader of the House. I have watched him take weekly questions in his stride on the real hot topics of the day. By common consent, he is always completely on top of his brief and he confidently commands the Assembly Chamber in both English and Welsh.

“As Chief Whip, I know Carwyn is loyal and dependable. He always puts the Party first and members across the country have a right to expect that from their Leader. Carwyn’s commitment to party unity is demonstrated by the strong links he has forged with his Westminster colleagues.

“I want to put on the record that Carwyn was the only candidate to ask me for my support. He took the time to explain what he stands for and the direction he want to take the Party and the country.

“I am convinced that Carwyn has the vision and the determination to lead Labour’s fightback in Wales – in the North and the South. He will be a Leader for the whole of Wales and I know he is impatient to get on turn this into a political reality. That’s why I am giving him my total support.

Commenting on news of the latest endorsements for Carwyn, his Campaign Manager, Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews said:

“As we enter the second full week of campaigning, it is clear that no one candidate has won a majority of nominations from Labour Assembly Members. However, Carwyn has shown he has a majority of Labour Assembly Government Ministers now wanting him to become the next Leader.

“We are also quietly confident that Carwyn will receive the backing of an overall majority of Welsh Labour MPs.”

Note: Labour Matters would like to make it clear that publication of news from the Welsh leadership campaigns should not be seen as an endorsement of a particular candidate. All such news, from whichever candidate, will be published to provide an opportunity for members to better judge the merits of the candidates.

The election to find a new Leader of Welsh Labour, is taking place following Rhodri Morgan’s announcement he is to stand down from the role in December.

Speaking to members of his Bridgend constituency party, Mr Jones said:

“Over the last few weeks I have spoken to most Welsh Labour Assembly Members and most Welsh Labour MPs. I am persuaded that I have strong support for my candidacy in both the National Assembly Labour Group and the Welsh Parliamentary Labour Party.

“I am standing as a candidate who can build unity between the Assembly Group and Welsh Labour MPs. Welsh Labour is at its best when it is united, with Labour in the Assembly and Labour at Westminster working together. It’s a formidable force when we get it right and I will fight at the forefront of that force for a Labour victory in the General Election next year.

“Over the last year, I have travelled across Wales talking to members of our party and to trades unionists and listening to what they have to say. They want a Leader who listens to people, and a Leader who learns from people. One who leads by example- a decisive leader, but a thoughtful one.

“They want a Labour Party in Wales that listens to the people, which is open and honest with them, which is responsive and engaged.

“They want a Leader for the whole of Wales, one who unites not divides, one who listens not lectures. A leader rooted in Labour values, proud of our past but focused on our future.”

Mr Jones said that the Bridgend experience was directly relevant to helping Welsh Labour rebuild in Wales, and spoke of how he and local party members in Bridgend and Ogmore had worked together successfully to win back control of the Bridgend County Borough Council in 2008.

“We all campaigned together in Team Bridgend, to win back the council from our opponents in 2008. We had to listen to people. We had to learn from people. We had to show people that we had a vision for the future and practical plans to deliver it.

“To win back Wales, Welsh Labour has to listen. Welsh Labour has to learn. To earn the right to lead Wales, we have to show we understand Wales as it is, not Wales as it was.

“Wales is an old country, but a young democracy. I was proud to campaign for devolution in the referendum in 1997. I want my country to succeed. I want to make a difference to the lives of people in Wales. I want Wales to win in the world. I am proud to be Welsh, proud to be British, and of course, proud to be Labour. But I want to be a Leader for the whole of Wales.”

Mr Jones was joined at his launch by Labour Assembly Members Leighton Andrews, Lesley Griffiths, Jane Davidson, John Griffiths and Alun Davies.

Urging Mr.Jones to put his name forward as a candidate, Lesley Griffiths said:

“Carwyn campaigned hard to help Labour re-take Wrexham in the Assembly elections of 2007. I was quickly impressed by Carwyn’s ability in the Assembly – not just in articulating Labour’s message but also by taking on the opposition. Carwyn is Labour through and through.

“As a North Wales AM, it is vital Welsh Labour has a Leader who can reach out, speak to and speak for all the people of Wales – North, South, East and West. Time and time again, Carwyn has shown he has can do just that.

“Over his entire Ministerial career, Carwyn has demonstrated he has true leadership skills, taking tough decisions at times of real crisis for our country – such as in 2001 in the foot and mouth outbreak. Equally, Carwyn has shown he is a team player – dependable and deeply loyal to Rhodri Morgan and other Ministerial colleagues.

“Armed with such skills, I believe Carwyn would be the right person to motivate and re-envigorate all sections of my Party. He is the person who can take the fight to the Tories at the General Election next Spring. He is the person who can turn Labour’s fortunes around in Wales and that is why I am urging Carwyn to stand for the Leadership of Welsh Labour.”

“I am proud to say that I served as a member of Rhodri Morgan’s leadership campaign team in 1998 and 1999. For those of us who believed in and could see Rhodri’s potential back then, we can honestly say nearly a decade on, he has never let us down.

“Since he became First Minister, Rhodri has worked tirelessly to ensure that devolution in Wales has become firmly rooted and established in our country. He has succeeded in delivering precisely that. His belief in Wales and the Welsh people, to be able to run their own affairs, has never faltered. When we look back over the years of the leadership he has given to Wales – not just to my Party – we can recognise the extent of the contribution he has made to our country.

“It has never failed to amaze me at just how approachable Rhodri is. He is a grounded politician, with no airs and graces whatsoever. On the many occasions he has visited Wrexham with me, his knowledge and memory for the area are plain for all to see. There is palpable warmth and affection he attracts from the people he meets.

“On a personal level, I know I will continue to seek his advice. Politics aside, I am proud to say, Rhodri Morgan is my friend.”

Conference, I’ve had the privilege as Labour Leader in Wales, of addressing you since 2000, and today I’m doing so for the last time.

Over that decade of devolution, I’ve seen Wales grow enormously in confidence.

Learning the art of government.

Getting used to making our own decisions.

Moving away from the old culture of blaming others for anything that goes wrong.

We would not, and could not, go back to the old days of going on bended knee for help from the likes of William Hague and John Redwood – those figures from what now seems like the prehistoric past.

That era is over for ever and ever.

Finito.

Dead as a Norwegian blue dodo.

Dead as the Thatcher/Reagan era of ultra free-market economics which ended with the 2008 credit crunch.

What’s needed now is active, interventionist, strong government, helping people through the recession and re-equipping the country for the coming up-turn.

You don’t get that from the free marketeers.

Their only answer is – cue John Maples Tory Deputy Chairman – ‘this recession must be allowed to run its course’.

What Labour is doing is to intervene for breakfast, for lunch, for tea and for supper, to shorten the recession and reduce the bad effects on ordinary peoples’ lives.

In Wales, that has meant a social partnership, getting trade union and business leaders, local government and the third sector, round a table to get a full understanding of where the shoe is pinching. Deciding what to do about it, so that Wales can be ready for the upturn.

From those summit meetings came the ProAct programme, paying employers to keep workers on their books, instead of making them redundant when orders are low.

But we pay our £4,000 per head in return for up-grading the skills of those employees on the scheme.

ProAct is saving thousands of jobs now and, even more important, it will prove its worth in saving thousands of future jobs because of those improved skills.

That’s creative government intervention for you.

Wales now has our own state-owned bank, Finance Wales, with a £150 million investment fund for small and medium enterprises.

I announced the first tranche of investments totalling £6 million in 37 companies last week.

Also last week, we launched a £105 million fund for our housing associations, mostly from the European Investment Bank, to take the place of the money they can’t get from the market because of the credit crunch.

Where the market fails, Labour steps in, creating thousands of desperately needed construction jobs and meeting our urgent need for new homes.

But active government doesn’t end with beating the recession.

Since I last addressed conference, we have rolled out to every nursery and infant school in Wales our new Scandinavian-style learn-through-play curriculum.

I have never known enthusiasm like it among all our early years teachers and learning assistants.

It’s the biggest investment of new money in education in Wales in decades and we will see the benefit in decades to come, shortening the long tail of educational under-achievement from which Wales has always suffered.

Ten years ago we wouldn’t have had the powers to break with a century of educational tradition in the UK and in any case, we wouldn’t have had the confidence to do it, even if we had.

Now this new curriculum for the 3 – 7 year olds is a fantastic example of inventive government using devolution to the full.

We don’t now teach the bended-knee, or the tug of the forelock, any longer in our posture and comportment classes!

So Conference, a word about the future. Wales’ worst kept secret – I’m not going to be with you next year as Welsh Labour Leader and I’ll be announcing, before too long, the exact details of how and when the election of my successor it going to take place.

Still, it’s the little things which say the time is coming to move on. Two weeks ago today, Julie and I were having a swim on Barry Island beach, taking advantage of our Indian summer.

There was a surf life-saving competition going on and as I’m swimming along, quite powerfully so I think – OK, I’m not Michael Phelps, but I was quite impressed with my powerful stroke – next thing I know there’s an inflatable boat alongside me, and there is Miss Baywatch Barry Island 2009 leaning over and saying, ‘I’m just checking that you’re alright sir’!

At least she said Sir, not Grandad!

It’s things like that which tell you, to get ready to hand the baton over to the next generation.

It just remains for me to thank the Labour Party for doing all the heavy lifting – to get devolution up and running 10 years ago, to strengthen our powers in 2006 and to give me the chance to have been First Minister of Wales.

The Devolution Decade has been the most important thing to happen to Wales since the industrial revolution.

All because of you.

All because of Labour.

And now we need to make sure the British people make the right choice next year.

This is not the time for a free-market obsessed party to take over.

It’s not time to make government smaller when there’s such a big job to do.

It’s a time for a Party that believes in the power of government to develop our public services and to generate the new technologies and the new jobs.

You only get that from one party – Labour.

So, two final messages for this conference.

First, to the whole of the Labour party in this hall and outside.

I know that we are in difficulty now. We have temporarily mislaid that magic recipe for blending the mushy peas of old Labour with the guacamole of new Labour.

Those difficulties will be temporary. We will find that recipe again soon.

Because when the country is in difficulties, the Government takes a hit – it always happens, but when the country is in difficulties, that is precisely when you need the intervention of a government that actually believes in intervention.

That means Labour.

Last, to all my Welsh Labour compatriots here:

Diolch yn fawr am eich ffydd a’ch cefnogaeth di-dor dros y ddegaid ddiwethaf.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming with me on this incredible journey over the past decade.

Your loyalty and support has enabled me to do what I’ve been able to do to lead Wales and establish Wales as a ‘Yes We Can’ country.

I know you will give the same support and loyalty to whoever takes the helm of leadership on after me.

While my Labour leadership in Wales may not have long to run, Labour’s role of leadership in Wales and in Britain certainly isn’t coming to an end.

When times are tough, when the future needs to be shaped for everybody’s benefit, Labour is the one party you can count on.

Wrexham AM, Lesley Griffiths, has written to HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds TSB and the Royal Bank of Scotland, to find out what action they have taken to distribute billions of Euros worth of vitally needed loans and guarantees, provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB) in recent months, to help firms avoid bankruptcy.

Earlier this year, the EIB made €30 billion (Euros) available over the next three years, at reduced rates, to banks across the EU to help deliver credit support and loosen the flow of liquidity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the EU, including Wales.

Only last month, the EIB set aside a further €100 million over the next four years in a microfinance fund, to tackle unemployment in the EU by helping people who have recently lost their jobs, obtain start-up loans.

Back in February this year in the Assembly, Lesley Griffiths accused UK banks, of not doing enough to assist Welsh businesses during the downturn by failing to engage with the EIB in the help they were offering.

The AM is now writing to UK banks to find out to what extent they are co-operating with the EIB in its various schemes and what they are doing to inform their customers about what help is available from Brussels.

Commenting, Lesley Griffiths AM said:

“Since the global downturn began to bite, there have been constant and legitimate complaints by some small and medium sized companies in Wales about the difficulty they have faced in obtaining credit from their banks – credit that is vital in keeping their businesses afloat.

“One of the predominant reasons why firms fail during times like this, is due to a dearth of working capital and cash. That is precisely why the European Investment Bank has pulled out all of the stops in recent months, to make billions of Euros available in loans and guarantees to small companies – to get them through this rough patch.

“However, given the pan-EU nature of the various EIB schemes, they have had to be dependent on the co-operation of high-street lenders to get those loans and guarantees, out to business customers. I am not so sure UK banks have been co-operating fully and that is why I am anxious to find out to what extent, they have engaged with the EIB to date.

“I want to know from the banks, how they have made their Welsh SME customers aware of the EIB schemes and how much European money has actually flowed out to those firms in recent months. I await their answers with a great deal of interest.”