Right place, right time
Being in the right place at the right time. It doesn't happen by luck you know.
Carwyn Jones, the not-yet-declared leadership contender can tell you that much. It takes planning to find yourself in the right place to shake hands with Gordon Brown as he arrives to say a few words at Welsh night. It takes planning to make sure your soon-to-be-campaign manager is on the spot to film 'the moment'. Coming to a slot on Rhondda TV soon perhaps?
As a Labour parliamentary candidate who'd grabbed a snap with the PM put it, "you learn to be shameless, you know". I think she suspects she's going to need more than a 6x4 with Gordon Brown to win her seat but lost the will to live? Certainly not. Conference seems to be full of people who are rediscovering it. The poll in the Independent this morning that puts Labour on a par with the Liberal Democrats may sap it a bit but reading that the Conservatives are down by two points on last month should surely re-energise them and bother Mr Cameron.
No sign of Edwina Hart in Brighton. She 'doesn't do conferences' says a friendly voice. 'If she'd turned up this year you'd probably slam her' .. for being shameless no doubt. Still. It's winning friends and influencing people time - winning over MPs in particular. Bar talk and nothing else gives Carwyn Jones the support of at least 15 MPs if not more, Huw Lewis 9 if not a few less, depending in which part of the bar you're standing. Edwina Hart? Her camp must accept there is work to do. One MP couldn't help but pull a face last night when I mentioned her name. I'll put him in the Carwyn Jones camp then.
Huw Lewis is here, there, everywhere and rarely without Jessica Morden, MP for Newport East and former General Secretary of the Labour Party in Wales stapled to his side. I'll put her in the busy, upbeat Lewis camp then.
On Radio Cymru a few moments ago Rhodri Morgan was as sanguine as ever and happy to admit that no, he hasn't made up his mind exactly when he'll be off. He wants to do it right and as they say in Cardiff, tidy. Right place, right time.
As one senior figure with a vivid turn of phrase put it to me yesterday, Rhodri "has shown a bit more skirt" and with it lifted the mood of those who'd started to talk about "silly" and damaging delays.
UPDATE
Rhodri Morgan is down to speak at a fringe event later. Just as well he's made clear he is about to stand down before leadership hopefuls spotted the title of the Unite event: "Keeping people in work".
I'm Betsan Powys, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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