Mission Accomplished!

It's amazing how frequently the most public words of politicians come back to haunt them.

So begins the blurb on a new book by Matthew Parris and Phil Mason - Mission Accomplished!

Its (involuntary) contributors include Idi Amin, Margaret Thatcher, Leon Trotsky and (frequently) George Bush.

Here's a couple of Welsh examples.

Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells: "If Prime Minister Sharon had lived....he is dead, isn't he? No? It's an easy mistake to make".

Indeed. And here's David Lloyd George. "I have never doubted the fundamental greatness of Herr Hitler".

That's one inscription you won't find on the new Lloyd George statue in Parliament Square.

Lloyd George knew my father

This is it - the new statue of David Lloyd George unveiled in Parliament Square this afternoon.

Five grand-children, eighteen great-grandchildren, and countless great great grandchildren gathered among royalty and today's political leaders for the unveiling of the statue.

Lord Morris of Aberavon, who chaired the trustees who organised the appeal and errection of the statue spoke first. "Your royal highnesses, it is a great privilege to welcome you both." He then added in what some, not I, might see as a shameless piece of name dropping: ".....not for the first time."

Prince Charles said that although Lloyd George was proud of his Welsh roots he would be best remembered as a national and international statesman.

Away from the politicos and Liberal Democrats revisiting glory days, it did have the air of a family gathering, more wedding than funeral.

Among those present was Jennifer Longford, daughter of Lloyd George's mistress and later second wife, Frances Stevenson.

Mrs Longford has long believed that Lloyd George was her father although the list of family welcomed by Earl Lloyd George pointedly began a generation later.

Statue in the square

Parliament Square is home to statues of world leaders from Churchill to Mandela.

Within 48 hours it will also be home to a statue of David Lloyd George, the only Welshman (albeit one born in Manchester) to become Prime Minister of the UK.

His statue, sculpted by Glynn Williams (left), is currently behind scaffolding to await its unveiling by the Prince of Wales on Thursday. It will stand 18 feet high, including a slate plinth.

I met Professor Williams, head of sculpture at the Royal College of Art, this morning and got a sneak preview of the statue. He spent more than a year working on it, and many more years trying to get the go-ahead for it from various planning authorities.

Historian and Labour peer Kenneth O. Morgan rates Lloyd George as Britain's most radical PM. Without giving anything away about the final design, I don't think he or other fans of Lloyd George will be disappointed when the statue is unveiled.