Two fingers from Alun Davies

Fascinating to hear that Alun Davies, Labour AM for Mid and West, has gone totally off-agenda with his “demand” that he be allowed to stand in Blaenau Gwent with the aim of unseating Trish Law, the Independent AM.

As a recent recruit from Plaid, I can imagine the deep cynicism which the comrades in the old Ebbw Vale will display to this attempt to take over the local selection procedure.

As he had been very rude about Mrs Law’s capabilities, it was unsurprising that she gave him short shrift when asked her reaction.

Mr Davies has been one of the most able of Labour’s AMs – in the view of some in the press, anyway.

Kirsty Williams, the Lib Dem leader, was less complimentary – “I hope he does a better job than he has done in Mid and West,” she said.

It’s clear that Mr Davies doesn’t think much of his current party’s selection procedures – no doubt in the light of the departure from the party of Labour’s previous Blaenau Gwent candidate, and because of the age (70) of the candidate chosen to wrest (or, more likely, not wrest) Llanelli from Helen Mary Jones, of Plaid.

But showing two fingers to Transport House (even in its present, seemingly earthquake-damaged state) is hardly the way to persuade them to adopt your own pet ideas.

Perhaps Mr Davies has heard that when the regional list for Mid and West is next drawn up he is heading for fifth place (an unwinnable position), and decided to get some retaliation in first  Not that it’ll do him must good.  Perhaps he should rejoin Plaid. After all, some members of that party reckon it needs a new leader of its Assembly group…