³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

So what exactly did Nick Bourne say over his cornflakes when he read in that his favourite former AM David Davies is to launch a No campaign?

Did Cheryl Gillan put on her Joyce Grenfell voice, the one she's been overheard using on the phone to the Monmouth MP in the past: "No, don't do that David".

But it's too late for the Conservatives: he has.

And it's too late too for all of those non-Tory no supporters who must have been hoping, once again, to fall in behind a rather more unifying figure than David Top Cat Davies. There will surely have been a few choice comments in the Touhig and Kinnock households this morning too.

David Davies is not well known for keeping his former fellow No campaigner, Nick Bourne, up to speed with what he's up to and so there's little surprise that this gauntlet has been thrown down by the man that is has, in the way that it has. But while the Welsh Tories may indeed prefer to concentrate on winning more seats in Wales at the next General Election and doing their bit to oust Gordon Brown - rather than having a hypothetical discussion about something they don't even know whether it'll happen (or words to that effect) - the gauntlet is still down.

Which means we can safely assume that David Cameron will now read Lord Wyn Roberts' review on the Conservative take on further devolution, the one that's apparently been sitting on his desk all Summer, the one that pledges to hold a referendum if he wins the next election? "It's not that simple" I'm told.

But can we assume that the gauntlet will well and truly be taken up at the party conference in Birmingham in a few weeks time? Or will it be shoved in the corner, in the hope that Nick Bourne won't now have to prove that not only is he in favour of further devolution: he can actually deliver his party's support for it?

What of the other side?

Sleepwalking seems to be the metaphor of the moment.

David Davies: "They (WAG) are committed to holding a referendum on full lawmaking powers for the Assembly before 2011, and my concern is thast if the opposing points are not made, we could be sleepwalking towards independence. It's about time the people of Wales woke up to what is facing them".

: "At present, no matter whether the referendum is held before or after 2011, those advocating more powers are sleep-walking to defeat".

The response from the Labour Plaid government? Just in:

"This is clearly another matter of private grief for the Conservative party. Six months ago they announced that they would review their policy on further devolution for Wales and they still haven't reached any conclusion. In the meantime they remain bitterly divided. Their Assembly Leader, Nick Bourne claims that the Tories have "faced their demons" and are committed to supporting a referendum on full-law making powers, whilst David Davies MP is desperate to champion a 'No' campaign. Who exactly speaks for the Conservative party in Wales? They need to tell the people of Wales where they stand.

The Welsh Assembly Government on the other hand is focused on what needs to be done to trigger a referendum. The All-Wales Convention is currently monitoring the state of public opinion and doing the necessary work to assess the levels of support for further devolution. It will of course become necessary in due course for a Yes campaign to be established in order to help secure a successful outcome to a future referendum."

So how due now is "due course?"

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?