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Those who in July do wed ..

Betsan Powys | 12:25 UK time, Monday, 7 July 2008

If the security guard in the government offices in Cathays Park spotted the irony of inviting us to wait our turn to interview Ieuan Wyn Jones while 'sitting in the rainbow lounge' last Thursday he didn't show it. He might not realise that the rainbow government - reputed to be the Deputy First Minister's favoured option back then - died an official death a year ago today when Plaid Cymru members joined Labour in voting in favour of the red green One Wales government.

The rainbow was already dead of course. The Lib Dems had seen to that and no amount of post-mortem attempts to breathe life back into it were going to work. Red Green it was.

Twelve months ago at the Cardiff International Arena, as I suggest , one lot of delegates said yes-if-we-really-have-to while the other lot shouted 'yes' from the rooftops of Pontrhydfendigaid's pavilion.

A year on both parties claim victory - but note that just for the anniversary, they've both decided to ditch the other. For Labour, who fail to mention Plaid, , while Plaid, who fail to mention Labour, seem convinced that the past year's announcements were

(By the way is that a shot of the new Ebbw Vale rail line in the video? If so, someone in Plaid must enjoy living dangerously ...)

We mark one year of the One Wales government on Wednesday. It's the day Ieuan Wyn Jones was made Deputy First Minister and Plaid entered into government. And you can bet that both First Minister and his Deputy will shake hands, smile a lot and tell us they've been better buddies over the past twelve months than they could have imagined.

The funny thing is that I believe them but on the anniversary of agreeing to take each other on, it clearly won't do to tell their own parties that.

By the way Ieuan Wyn Jones reckons he'd be more welcome today at a Rhondda Labour Club than he was a year ago. Really? "Well I think they realise that without us, they wouldn't be in power at all". He senses that's not the best line to take and tries again, convinced they'd recognise and welcome the 'new Welsh agenda' Plaid Cymru today claim they've created in government. I dare him to give that line a try.

A quick peek inside the Secretary of State's flat - now available for use by a Plaid Deputy Minister - before I leave Cathays Park. Retro wallpaper, a vintage Ercol table, an ironing board leaning against the kitchen wall and a Plaid politician admitting that when he made it inside, he very, very nearly punched the air.

Oh and those who in July do wed? Must labour for their daily bread, apparently.

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