Only limited sympathy today in the Assembly – which often loves to go overboard in political correctness – over the massive bullock that Alun Cairns dropped on the radio last week.
In a light-hearted item on which soccer team he supported in the current European championship, Mr Cairns attached the description “greasy wops” to the Italian team.
But Welsh-Italians didn’t seem overly concerned when questioned afterwards, while former AM Ron Davies, now director of the Valleys Race Equality Council, commented that Mr Cairns didn’t have a racist bone in his body.
Really, this is just an example of Mr Cairns letting his mouth run away with himself. A lighthearted comment, just the sort of line which a radio programme loves – but not these particular words …
Mind you, Mr Cairns seems to have a record for going over the top on the radio. Recently, the Shadow Education Minister was asked to comment as chairman of the finance committee, on a sensitive point of funding for the foundation phase for our youngest school pupils.
In front of a member of the press, Alun Ffred Jones, a Plaid member of the committee, advised Mr Cairns to give no interview for fear he would go “over the top”. As far as I know, no interview was given.
Under the old committee system, when ministers were quizzed in great detail on government policy – a fortnightly event now sadly abandoned – Mr Cairns became known as the “terrier” who was more effective than all of his 59 colleagues in bringing ministers to heel.
Perhaps he sometimes went too far – in terms of unremitting questioning.
But in terms of ability, Mr Cairns is one of the best; he would make a superb government minister. He has lost his post in the Welsh Tory leadership; let’s hope it is only until the furore dies down.
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