The Week Part Two
Thursday evening and to the stately pleasure dome of Mid Wales that is the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells expertly run by Justin Baird Murray for a dinner to be attended by three Shadow Cabinet ministers: David Lidington, Oliver Heald and Hugo Swire. I have known Oliver for a long time and David Lidington well from when he was PPS to William Hague. Hugo is important to us in Wales not least because broadcasting and the S4C budget are determined at Westminster. All three are clearly going to have leading roles in a Cameron government.It is a very pleasant evening and some interesting policy discussion goes on.
On the Friday morning there is a Shadow Cabinet meeting held in the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff West. It has unsettled Labour enough for them to send a pamphleteer to give out literature!
Plaid ’s response from their conference is to attack us for paying too much attention to Wales by having senior Westminster politicians in Wales when they used to complain of too little attention! I am relieved that while Dafydd Iwan was talking of Welsh isolation my party is talking of a strong Wales in a strong Britain.
The Shadow Cabinet meeting focuses on Welsh issues and it is clear that members have a real grasp of Welsh issues.After the meeting members of the Shadow Cabinet again fan out to different parts of Wales to visit schools, businesses, social enterprises, charitable organisations and to meet with nurses, medics,teachers,representatives of refugees and farmers.It has been a very worthwhile and productive exercise.
