Ieuan Wyn Jones seemed surprised – but far from dumbfounded – when approached by Cambria with news that some people are after his job.
The individual, of course, is Adam Price, the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP. To bid for the leadership of the Plaid group in the Assembly, he would of course have to become an AM.
Informed that the current incumbent for that seat – the former rev-min Rhodri Glyn Thomas – had dryly responded that he had yet to be approached with the suggestion that an early retirement might be in order – and the underlying feeling is that his reaction to any such suggestion would be along the lines of, “Piss off” – Mr Jones gave the sensible reply, “That is all totally hypothetical.”
And yet why should one of the most senior figures in Plaid have commented to Cambria that it was exceedingly interesting the amount of public speaking that Mr Price is currently managing in Wales.
“He is speaking so often that he is even managing to contradict himself,” I was told.
What was interesting was that Mr Jones seemed totally unaware of what was going on. As there have been stories around for some years doubting his continued hold on the group leadership, one would have expected to have found antennae specifically tuned in that direction.
Of course, the truth is probably that the party sometimes seems so unsure of itself that rumours of this sort are totally censored by party officials, even when speaking to the party’s own leaders.
If Ieuan is eventually to get the chop, you can be sure of one thing. The execution will be defered until after the election. It’s only juvenile right-wingers among the Tories who can risk jeopardising election support with a contest before the polls.
Labour plans to replace Rhodri Morgan in advance of the poll – giving the new incumbent ample time to settle in before the 2011 election. Mr Morgan himself is going to extreme lengths to dampen advance speculation about his own party’s contest. Asked about the poll at the first cabinet briefing of the new term, Mr Morgan refused point blank to add anything to what he had said earlier.
And to minimise the resulting story, he refused to remind journalists of what he had said earlier. Of course, one reason he refused to give a reminder might be just in case his new reminder might turn out to be slightly different from what he had said earlier !



So we know at last precisely why culture minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas announced the wrong winner at the Wales Book of the Year ceremony.
How can we ensure that the forthcoming bio-pic on Dylan Thomas does not turn the film-makers’ imaginations, feelings and emotion into accepted “fact” about the life of the poet.



