A man's got to do
Early shift this morning, which meant that at 4.30 pm I was standing in Mothercare, looking for shorts in size 3-4. They always seem to sell out first.
Phone rings.
"How do you fancy red and green?"
I needed pink shorts but got the message. It was time to hurry back to work - children in tow.
"Ife castell yw hwnna? Is that a castle?"
"Na, y Senedd yw e. No, it's the Senedd".
"Can I walk along the wall? Can I bleep us in?"
"No. ME bleep us in".
You get the picture. I took the softly softly, cajoling approach. There's been a lot of that about in Cardiff Bay over the past few weeks. But in the end a Mum's got to do do what a Mum's got to do.
"Fan hyn. Nawr! Come here. Now!"
And it seems a man's got to do what a man's got to do too.
Moses (yes, that one was Rhodri Morgan's) had to deliver and that's what Rhodri Morgan knew. He's persuaded his group (a group that has 'come a long way' we hear) to accept that the only way to stability lay with Plaid and a full-on coalition. That or rainbow coloured P45s and Labour weren't up for those. You look over that cliff ... I wonder if the Secretary of State has taken a peek and come to the same conclusion? What did he say in Llandudno again? A deal between Labour and Plaid was 'not a possibility?' Something along those unambiguous lines I seem to remember.
Why would Plaid go for a red-green coalition rather than a Plaid-led one?
Because they might prefer to be remembered as the group that delivered a referendum for Wales on full powers for the Assembly, rather than the group that delivered the first Plaid First Minister. Rhodri Morgan might have genuinely angered them this morning with his 'warning' on the future dealings of a rainbow alliance with a Labour Westminster government but you get the feeling they've got over it, looked over the shopping list and now just want to make sure this Moses can deliver everything that's on it.
A group of Plaid AMs walked past just as I was about to go on air at 7.45pm. "It's in the bag!" someone shouted. They were, I'm pretty sure, joking but only in that way you do when you know you can afford to.
More talks then - about delivering something Plaid deem acceptable on the language and Labour support for a referendum, not just acceptance that it has to happen.
Then on to Aberystwyth where first the Plaid group, then the National Executive meet on Saturday.
As a Lib Dem put it this afternoon - if Plaid go for this, then the recriminations we went through will seem like a picnic in the park.
Off to London tomorrow to consider a Brown-led future and to convince them that yes, really, the next 48-hours will be crucial for the red-green-rainbow future too.
And worth reporting.
Wish me luck.
I'm Betsan Powys, 91Èȱ¬ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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Betsan, Today's blog (or should I say tonight's -10:24pm, after an early start) is fanastic. I know the feeling, whenever I'm looking after Henri, a big political stroy breaks!
Anyway, I bet you have a whole series of vidoe footage where IWJ and the FM say that they won't work with each other. I'm already looking forward to your Christmas cutting special!
Oh, well Rainbow off, or is it.....?
Betsan,
The point for Plaid is that this isn't just about the relationship with Westminister it is about numbers in the Assembly and Labour's campaigning machine. Without 2/3rds of AMs the referendum doesn't get off the starting blocks. Plus however difficult it maybe delivering unianimous Labour support for the deal it is an anthill of a problem compared to what the 'rainbow' would face trying to deliver a referendum in the 'teeth' of opposition of the entire Labour party machine.
You know too well that Plaid face a simple choice. A Welsh Parliament with Labour, or a First Minister who will be known in history for abandoning all prospects of a Parliament for a generation. Everyone needs to remember what Plaid's principle purpose is. Abandoning all that to be a nominal First Minister looking over his shoulder all the time for Tory support would be a rather strange choice.......
Betsan, I am beginning to think that the next step is an arrangement where 4 different party leaders get to be the 'First Minister' for a year-long stint each...
Talking about those two, it's amazing what you'll discover on the 91Èȱ¬ pages these days:
The 'Master' and the 'Apprentice' - a race for First Minister
'The Apprentice' final that is showing this week is hotting up and the two contestants have battled it out while living together in their luxury pad in Cardiff Bay.
brilliant blog betsan, really enjoyed it!
ER, so that'll be a Cymru Socialist Welsh Speaking Republic in Europe by Christmas then ?
Can't wait!
The Lib Dems seems to have missed the message again then! People weren't attacking them for choosing Labour over the Rainbow, the whole nation was attacking them for not having the courage to make a choice.
Rainbow or Red-Green, at least Plaid seem to have the guts to make a choice.
what a great blog entry, really entertaining and well written. loved it!