´óÏó´«Ã½

Maiden speeches in the House of Commons tend to follow tradition. They are short, relatively uncontroversial and the new boy or girl finds nice things to say about his or her constituency and predecessor as MP

Stephen Doughty's maiden speech, delivered 13 days after he was elected in Cardiff South and Penarth, contained all four elements.

Rising to a "croeso" from Commons deputy speaker Nigel Evans, he paid tribute to the wide-ranging and influential career enjoyed by his immediate predecessor, Alun Michael - in the Home Office, Wales Office and at DEFRA, where he was responsible for the legislation that outlawed hunting with dogs.

Mr Doughty told MPs: "Many a fox will raise a paw to thank him for escaping the hunt."

The new Labour MP recalled visiting Westminster as a 10-year-old and being introduced to Mr Michael's predecessor, the late Lord Callaghan, who was as keen to talk to him "as an equal" as he was to his father.

Mr Doughty declared himself a passionate supporter of Cardiff City, as deeply attached to the traditional blue of the Bluebirds (club owners, take note) as the red of his politics.

There was the traditional tour of the constituency, taking in Trowbridge, Splott, Penarth Pier and Lavernock Point, where Marconi sent the first radio message over open sea.

Stephen Doughty had re-read both the Callaghan and Michael maiden speeches and borrowed a point from Mr Michael's 1987 maiden, that Cardiff South and Penarth was "a microcosm from which the government could learn many lessons".

Mr Doughty admitted he was very nervous before speaking - during a Labour-sponsored debate on income tax - but his speech was well-received on both sides of the Commons.