JANE HUTT was so enthusiastically telling us how the civil and local government services were girding themselves to save money that one wondered whether she might be working herself into a new job, writes Clive Betts from the Assembly press gallery.
Not that she would be available for hiring for another year.
Why another year ?
Because that’s the time of the next Assembly election. Jane’s seat is the Vale of Glamorgan, regarded as a certainly to fall to the Tories this week with the retirement of John Smith.
As this seat has probably gained a Tory-bent with immigration turning its rural areas into dormitory suburbs for well-heeled Cardiff workers, Ms Hutt must be wondering about whether her Assembly seat will follow suit.
The minister is keen to fight the seat again. After a life-time in public service, one reckons that she will only leave the Assembly when she is carried out feet-first.
She seems to admit it will be a hard fight to hold on. But it’s one she will fight with gusto.
And if she loses…
When she spoke to the press gallery – only one person there from the BBC, rather than the usual coach-load; where on earth could the others be ? – she was keen to spread the good message about how the public sector was entirely on top of the dual tasks of “efficiency” and “money-saving”.
Ten per cent savings in revenue costs had been identified. Two-hundred million fewer pounds needed to be spent.
There were the ways in which the work could be done both better and more efficiently in health – Jane is a former health minister. Booking appointments on line; re-ordering prescriptions; checking your own doctor’s-notes.
At the end of it all, we thought, there’s a job for you, surely, if you find yourself at a loose end after the next election.
How about as a public service efficiency expert to that nice David Cameron, the liberal Conservative who looks set to erect new curtains in number 10.
Seriously, though, both Jane and David do indeed sit on the liberal wings of their own parties.
But the Welshwoman would certainly have already taken a look at those hanging around England’s new leader. And she would have spotted quite sufficient hanger-on who would have justified her belief that Labour remains very much her favoured party.
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