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Gunboat Diplomacy

Betsan Powys | 18:51 UK time, Tuesday, 11 May 2010

gunboat.JPGThis photograph was taken from the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s balcony at the National Assembly in the Bay, around 1820 this evening, as the deal to give the Conservatives power at Westminster was being finalised.

A warship was being manoevered into position in the large dock which runs parallel with Ty Hywel. It would appear that the line from Carwyn Jones earlier - arguably now Labour's most senior elected politician - that he wasn't looking for conflict with the new administration MAY not be reciprocated .. !

The fingers, if not the big guns, are already being pointed: Plaid at the Tories and the Lib Dems for getting ready to start cutting public spending in Wales and at Labour "for throwing away the opportunity" to stop them;

Labour at Labour for delivering "an insult to the electorate" with attempts to cobble together a deal that would never have worked and that looked like a desperate attempt to cling on to power; Labour at Labour for killing off that "progressive alliance," which they argue still was worth trying to get off the ground; Labour at the Tories - and the Lib Dems - for the "savage cuts" to come;

and consider the position of Welsh Lib Dems who, it's claimed, shed a tear in the Assembly chamber this afternoon at the news that their party had stopped speaking to Labour, who knew they might be saying hello to power in Westminster but waving goodbye to a swathe of those who gave them their vote in Wales last Thursday.

As for the Conservatives? A happy, relieved bunch in Wales but acutely aware that cuts must be made, that the parties of government in Cardiff are getting the ammunition ready and that next year's Assembly election will now present them with a very tough battle indeed.

And yes I know that David Cameron is the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool took office. What's bothering me? He's younger than I am. These new PMs look younger every day.

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