Cambria Politico - The Political Blog

So, there is life beyond the political grave - and it as a result might mean widespread cuts in speed limits on Welsh roads.

Alun Pugh was hardly the most successful culture minister, and now all of his controversial Labour-fuelled talk of absorbing the Arts Council into the civil service has totally vanished - successor Rhodri Glyn Thomas is off later this week to address that council’s annual conference, no doubt delivering lots of talk about plans for the future

But in his new existence as director of the Snowdonia Society he is having more luck; he has been pushing the idea of reducing road speed limits within the national park to 50, with only 20 in built-up areas, especially around schools and houses.

And, hey-ho, today Ieuan Wyn Jones, deputy First Minister and Plaid transport minister, put forward almost precisely the same idea.

He quietly - no press conference or advanced notice - put out a hefty consultation document which proposed just about the same.

Indeed, the 50-pages of the Welsh government’s Setting Local Speed Limits (consultation replies by August 29) could set rural limits in national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty as low as 40 in open countryside.

The 22 county and county borough highway authorities would be given five years to erect the new signs.

A Plaid special adviser said the speed limits review stemmed from a promise in the One Wales coalition agreement to consider 20 mph limits outside schools. But instead Mr Jones had decided to reconsider the whole issue throughout Wales - which means, find ways of reducing speeds.

Thus, public houses will also be considered for “20″ limits - that’s 20 mph, not 20 pints.

Not everyone will be happy with this. Petrol-heads will point to vastly improved brakes on modern cars, and will moan about the nanny-state.

But when the issue was put this way to Tory leader Nick Bourne in his party’s weekly press briefing, his answer was extremely brief. Just one word as to whether he might support critics of the proposals. No, and I’ve nothing more to say.

Clearly, Mr Bourne keeps to the speed limits, even though too many of his fellow Tories treat them with scant disdain.