Cambria Politico - The Political Blog

Jane Davidson gave her First-Minster impression today. And very realistic it seemed.

She gave a long and spirited exposition at the weekly Cabinet briefing for the press on everything she and her environment department were planning this week, explaining that she had a “very full” week ahead.

We were told about flooding, keeping Wales tidy, cycling, walking, the Joint Ministerial Committee (of first ministers, linking the various bits of the UK), energy, wind farms, Zimbabwe, separatism, the barrage, plus a few other topics touched on.

Having got through that lot at top rate, Ms Davidson suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, woops, and there are things this week which are not to do with my ministry.”

Not many, mind you. On tomorrow’s statement by Elin Jones on the Assembly plan to ban electric dog collars, she managed to shove in that she had dealt with this issue, as well, in the short period between last year’s general election and the formation of the coalition with Plaid.

The Pontypridd AM then - without any necessity - got involved in African affairs, justifying this by having spent some time working on that continent. She was furious about the undemocratic goings-on in Zimbabwe. She called on Nelson Mandela to use his coming 90^th birthday to speak out strongly for an “African solution” - and that involving something of meaning.

Ms Davidson clearly fancies the statesman’s role; indeed, she’s already been involved there, having spoken with former US president Jimmy Carter at the Hay literary festival about the Palestinian problem.

But then it emerged she did not intend to attend the evening reception for the Israeli ambassador. She was apparently leaving that task to the current First Minister.

Because he could represent her views ? Oh, no, she did not know what Rhodri Morgan thought of the issue. We never found out why she had discovered “somewhere else to go.”

Unfortunately, no-one got to ask whether she thought it better to avoid the meeting “because she would have felt like punching him on the nose”.

All really very First Minister-like. It’s somewhat unfortunate that Ms D has already said firmly that she will NOT be challenging for the job. A pity.