The cosy consensus that was developing around Carwyn Jones’ leadership was spilit apart today with the shock news that Finance Minster, Andrew Davies will not be seeking re-election in 2011.
That is most probably just as well as it is likely that his Swansea West seat would fall to the Welsh Liberal Democrats anyway, but the timing of this announcement is significant and shows Andrew’s disillusionment with the outcome of the Labour leadership race.
Andrew Davies was a firm supporter of Edwina Hart’s candidacy and is known to have been at odds with Carwyn Jones for sometime. His long and rambling press release, in which a number of the great and the good are lined up to sing his praises, presumably also signals that he will not be staying on in the cabinet either.
That will be a bit of a blow to the Western Mail, who devoted two pages in today’s paper to anonymous Plaid Cymru sources who were arguing for Andrew to be kept on as Finance Minister.
Update: Betsan Powys reports that Carwyn Jones has effectively sacked Andrew Davies by press release. Not a very auspicious start to the new regime at all.
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