After yesterday’s excruciating First Minister’s Question Time in which a succession of Assembly Members sang (yes, sang) happy birthday to Rhodri Morgan and in which Nick Bourne compared Labour AM, Ann Jones to Marilyn Monroe, I do not want to encourage any more singing.
However, I am struck by the parallel’s between Rhodri Morgan’s reluctance to retire as First Minister and Jim Callaghan at the 1978 Trades Union Congress taunting his opponents with an impersonation of old-time music hall star Marie Lloyd singing “Waiting at the Church”.
Rhodri told the Assembly yesterday that he intends to stay as First Minister until the budget is put to bed, indicating that he will still be in post at the end of 2009. That does not mean that there cannot be a contest to succeed him in the meantime but it is beginning to look less and less certain as to when he will make the long-awaited announcement.
I suppose he has us all where he wants us, hanging on his every word, however it does not do to encourage him. Conservative AM Darren Millar’s direct question yesterday was, in my view, a waste of a question opportunity. Let the possible succesors in the Labour party worry about the succession timetable. It is the job of the opposition in the meanwhile to scrutinise the Labour-Plaid Cymru Government on their record and to fight for a better deal for Wales and its people.
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Sunny Jim didn’t actually sing. It was more of a rap, or to be pretentious, Sprechgesang.
One assumes that the First Minister has a rather better voice. But this is all a sideshow, as you say.
see my sketch of nick bourne comparing Ann jones to marilyn monroe
http://welshcartoons.blogspot.com/
it only took half an hour , the drawing of ann jones ain’t much cop, could not see the photo very well