Monday 9 July 2007

Ruling nothing in, ruling nothing out


It's hard keeping up with Welsh politics. It seems only last March (it was only last March) when Peter Hain was telling MPs there was no prospect of a coalition between Labour and Plaid Cymru.


"I am ruling it out," he said. "There is no prospect of that at all. It is a matter for Rhodri Morgan and Welsh Labour Assembly Members, but I do not think that Welsh Labour would accept it."


During the Welsh Assembly election campaign he even spoke out to condemn what he saw as BBC Wales nationalist tendencies revealed by our suggestion that Labour might consider a deal with Plaid Cymru after polling day.


I've just heard the same Peter Hain explaining to Radio 4 listeners how Welsh Labour found itself caught between the proverbial rock and the hard place, forced to do a deal with Plaid Cymru (or "the nationalists" as he still calls Labour's new comrades in government).


Mr Hain could not have sounded less enthusiastic for the deal had he been despatched to the Big Brother House with only a copy of Alistair Campbell's diaries for company.


Perhaps he remembers Plaid's poster from the Welsh Assembly election campaign - shown above.


Now Plaid, far from kicking Labour into touch, are about to get into government with members of a party led until recently by someone they consider a war criminal who sold honours.


As those philosophers Jimmy Greaves and Margaret Thatcher put it, it's a funny old world.


Good for trade for us hacks, though? I'm not ruling it out.





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