Cameron: Let's not have an argument

The Welsh Conservatives' "reception" (nothing so common as "Welsh Night") is a curious fixture on the conference fringe.

Guests could be forgiven they are arriving at a rather posh wedding, such is the line-up of hosts that needs to be negotiated before the room can be entered.

Tonight's reception committee included Cheryl Gillan, Nick Bourne, Catrin Edwards and Lyndon Jones, all working to make David Cameron feel truly welcome.

The Tory leader was unusually open about his party's policy differences in a speech delivered only after the room had been swept for TV cameras and a Radio Wales presenter had been ejected.

"Let's have a frank point here," he said. "We don't all agree about the future of devolution but let's not have an argument about it. - we want devolution to work, we will be practical about it."

So a pretty frank admission that the Tories are split on the question of whether the Welsh Assembly should acquire more powers. And an implicit admission that the differences are unlikely to be resolved soon - not that anyone here was holding their breath for a definitive policy statement this week.

Vote Blue, Go Green?

That "Vote Blue, Go Green" message seems rather dated now. In fact, it must be almost four weeks since the Conservatives put environmental concerns high on their campaign agenda for the local council elections.

Today, Welsh Tory leader Nick Bourne and fellow Welsh Assembly Member Andrew Davies were on hand to receive a petitition from hauliers.

With fuel costs continuing to rise, the Tories may not be the only party or pressure group to play down their green credentials at the moment.

Even Greenpeace have criticised plans to increase future road tax for vehicles already on the road.

The joys of opposition

An intriguing press release arrives from the Welsh Conservatives, headed: "HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING GAP IS UNACCEPTABLE".

Any link between this funding gap between Wales and England and Conservative opposition to tuition fees (in Wales, not in England) is purely coincidental.

Pot, Kettle, Black

The Welsh Conservatives have accused Plaid Cymru of taking "diametrically opposed positions" at Westminster and in the Welsh Assembly over ID cards.

So unlike the Conservatives, who are resolutely opposed to university tuition fees in Wales, but support them in England.....

“How on earth can anyone take this party seriously when its members adopt diametrically opposed positions depending on which end of the M4 they are?" said Tory Assembly Group leader Nick Bourne, or was is a Plaid Cymru spokesman?

St David's Day again.......

I worry that I may have become a tad predictable in my questioning of politicians.

I emerged from grilling shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan for the Politics Show to be greeted by another senior Tory brandishing a pound coin.

This apparently was the bet placed on me asking whether the Conservatives would make St David's Day a bank holiday.

Tories in the Welsh Assembly have long favoured this option as a way of making their party appear more Welsh. Conservatives at Westminster - bank holidays are decided by the Treasury - have long ignored the request.

Apparently I've now been asking this question for seven years - almost as long as the Tories have been refusing to answer it.

Which of us will wilt first?