David Cameron’s visit to Barry yesterday to support Tory Assembly Member, Alun Cairns in his bid to become an MP, was not without controversy.
Firstly, there was the ringing endorsement of Nick ‘ipod’ Bourne. Mr. Cameron said that the Tory Assembly opposition leader had “done the right thing” by repaying the £229 he used from his taxpayer-funded allowances to buy an iPod:
“He has done an extremely good job. The Conservative Party in Wales is stronger than it has been for many years,” Mr Cameron said.
The expense claims of AMs and MPs alike had to be “reasonable and defensible”, he added.
That must have been a bitter blow for Jonathan Morgan and Darran Millar, who have been circling like sharks since the expenses scandal broke in the hope of getting their chance to take Mr. Bourne’s place.
Or is it that they are banking on the endorsement acting as a poison chalice, like a football club chairman offering the full support of his board to the manager just before the axe falls.
That scenario looked more likely after Mr. Cameron went on to leave the Welsh Tory leader isolated on the issue of further powers in a way that will set the South Wales East Tory pack baying for Mr. Bourne’s blood once more. For whereas Nick Bourne wants a referendum to acquire more powers, his leader is not so keen.
Instead David Cameron said that people in Wales are becoming bored by the debate over how much law-making power their National Assembly should have. He wants to concentrate on bread and butter issues. An understandable position, but one designed to paper over the cracks in his own party as much as it is to attract votes.
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