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Opposing views

• Betsan Powys
• 23 May 07, 11:38 PM

This from Ieuan Wyn Jones:

"The people of Wales deserve leadership and a stable government. Plaid Cymru offered that option but the Liberal Democrats have tonight turned their backs on their duty to the people of wales and have shown absolute contempt for the electorate. It was as a result of their decision to suspend talks with Labour that Plaid Cymru was required to offer an alternative government. The Liberal Democrats have now shown that they are unable to take serious decisions and are undeserving of government. The proposed coalition between Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats is now dead. We will reflect on tonight's decision and the Assembly group will meet tomorrow to reflect on what happens next."

This from one of the strong-minded women: "Who would have thought? Saved by the Liberal Democrats!"

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Someone left the cake out ...

• Betsan Powys
• 23 May 07, 10:59 PM

The Lib Dems have done it. (That's what I wrote last week).

The opposition parties are about to put Labour out of government (last week).

And tonight the Lib Dems have done it again. They've rained on Ieuan Wyn Jones' birthday cake ... and the rainbow has evaporated.

The Tories have already said they have no reason not to keep on talking to Plaid Cymru but that those decisions will be made in the morning. Plaid have said nothing but I can think of a few good reasons why they might not want to keep talking just to the Tories.

The rumours started flying around late this afternoon that the vote would be far tighter than Mike German was expecting.

I asked around. "Apprehensive but not concerned" said the man who would be First Minister.

But the Lib Dem triple lock worked. All three groups needed to return a majority vote. The negotiating team did: 5:3; the AMs did 4:2; the exec was a dead heat. No majority. No special conference. The left wing of the party is flying home tonight but already pointing out to Labour that if they haven't learned something valuable from this process, then the battle would almost have been in vain.

I'm already been told by people in the party that count that Mike German over-reached himself and that he put the party second to an ambition to govern. "Over-reached himself" is bad, bad news for the leader.

A story comes to mind, about William Whitelaw, Ted Heath and gloating.

"Ted says we mustn't gloat," said Whitelaw, "wrong to gloat, mustn't do it, no, no, no. Well, I can tell you, I'm gloating
like hell".

This just in from Labour:

"We've always said that our door was open to talk to either the Lib Dems or Plaid Cymru. Nothing has changed in that. Our aim has always been to provide a stable government for the next four years."

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