Nick Bourne AM

 It comes as something of a shock to the system to experience temperatures of 35C after the last three months of rain but the Auvergne which uniquely in France has a higher rainfall  in the summer than the winter has been putting in a stunning effort to confound the French Derek Brockway’s and other meteorological giants– and with considerable success. It is very hot and very dry here at present.

This has provided a perfect excuse for a long lingering lunch today in Brioude in the south of the Auvergne region. It is an attractive town famous as the home of Lafayette and has a superb abbey church. It also has some excellent restaurants.
We also strolled around some of the narrow streets and I foraged through boxes of second hand books to find a Balzac that I hadn’t read.

We also took the opportunity for a good shop for food. Wonderful selection of cheeses, coffee, bayonne ham and wines in the chariot de gourmandise.  In parenthesis, nothing could better illustrate the difference between the purchase of essentials in France and Britain than the fact that what we call a shopping trolley is splendidly if somewhat grandly called a chariot de gourmandise by the French!

 
We drove along the Allier gorge stopping en route in some of the very many attractive villages that hug the cliffs on either side. The roads are quiet and the tourists surprisingly few.

 
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Anyone who has read the novels of Marcel Pagnol, such as  Jean de Florette or Manon des Sources will have sampled the taste of real France.

 
Graham Greene once said of the Malgudi books of RK Narayan he has taught me what it is like to be Indian. I. know exactly what Greene meant and Pagnol does the same thing for France.

 
Although set in Provence I feel they could apply as readily to the Auvergne, it is a France that is essentially agrarian, wedded to the church and rooted in the local community.

 
In Bertignat today locals were chatting outside the Mairie, others were paying their respects at the statue of the Virgin. Life is unhurried and cheerful.

 
It has a great deal to recommend it!Just as at home French youngsters’ heads (and not a few adults) are buried in the latest Harry Potter.

 
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 I love my country–but if I had to live elsewhere it would be France. I am in the Auvergne staying at the house of friends for a week. Landed at Lyon airport and picked up a hire car. It was a Lancia and I have never before driven a car that is a hybrid between an automatic and manual.

As we set off on the 200 mile journey to Ambert  it was just like George Segal in A Touch of Class– all crunches and kangaroo petrol. The Auvergne is very hot at present and Ambert is an attractive town with a superb creperie where we have already lingered enjoying the food and wine.

Today we took a walk along the Path of the Papermakers through the forests above. Ambert past many old mills — Ambert’s industry was based on paper production.  We also walked through the village onto higher ground to a statue of the Virgin Mary and also visited the Chorch of St Jean in Ambert..The interior of the church was much plainer than most Catholic churches and we spent some time there and I lit a candle.

Sarko has clearly hit the ground running and is proving a massive hit. His Big Tent approach of including political opponents in government is paying off.

Dinner beckons….

 
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At the end of the first week of the recess– which does not coincide with holiday! We have had some appalling weather. On a balmy Thursday evening in Montgomeryshire it was hard to believe the dire predictions of flash floods and incessant rain for Friday. The forebodings were right and the Royal Welsh tomorrow opens in the aftermath of some dreadful weather.

However at the end of this assembly term the party is in good shape in Wales and throughout the country. Bye-elections come and go and Conservatives have never performed as well in these as we do in national elections. Southall and Sedgefield have not been held by the Conservatives since World War 2. Perhaps expectations were raised but these are scarcely weathervane seats or what the Americans might call swing seats.
In Wales I believe the party in the aftermath of the Assembly elections and the long poker negotiations that went on afterwards is in a strong position and in very good heart. I am fortunate to lead a strong team and to have solid support in our approach to devolved politics from Cheryl Gillan and from David Cameron. David Jones as shadow minister and David Davies and Stephen Crabb provide strong support.

I fear Plaid Cymru have not secured a good deal in their negotiations for cabinet places with Labour. Rhodri Morgan has kept his team intact except for one deputy minister post and the whole thing looks like a Labour mansion ( apologies to Shaun Woodward)  with a Plaid Cymru lean-to at the back. It
looks like the cabinet negotiations are pretty much Game Set and Match to Labour. I am surprised that Carwyn has settled for a backwater of a job - as Counsel General even if the Business Manager role is added in. Is this Rhodri keeping his team intact or is it forward planning for the succession? I know that Rhodri had originally intended that the post of Counsel General should not go to a party politician because we discussed  it, and I even put forward a name ( non political) Be that as it may this is not a job in the forefront of the day to day bread and butter politics. There are springs in the steps of Andrew Davies and Edwina Hart.

Plaid Cymru could scarcely have not gained one of the three large ministries ( economy, health and education ) and I had assumed they would take the economy slot. The other two ministries would have been exactly what could have been and were predicted. I wish Ieuan (economy), Elin (agriculture) and Rhodri Glyn (heritage- fun) well. We must just hope Rhodri Glyn doesn’t take the fun sub title of his ministerial role too literally.
 
 The Test Match is going well at Lords, mercifully Lewis Hamilton is alright despite that horrendous crash in qualifying for the European Grand Prix.  The flooding is, of course, dreadful and must mean that though we need to build more housing we need to ensure that there is no building on flood
plains. Mercifully there has been little loss of life.  I see incidentally that the BNP have found a bolt hole to go. to in Croatia if there is apocalyptic breakdown of society and anarchy following the world’s oil running out– how patriotic! (Observer)

We have been very well served by our agriculture officials and our chief vet who must have been working under immense pressure on the TB infected bull. I am hopeful of tomorrow’s decision but whatever it is they deserve our thanks.

 
The recess allows me to spend a good part of this week in the Mid and West constituency - and I do so.

Many of the issues are educational, I visit the Priory School in Brecon, It is a very good Church of Wales school but the state of the buildings is atrocious. It was built in 1974 but it has a flat roof that leaks - uncomfortable and dangerous. One of the two boilers doesn’t work either. The Welsh Assembly government had sanctioned a tender for a new school for 210 pupils but has since rescinded that and wants a smaller school which would mean single form entry would no longer be possible and that is
educationally undesirable.

I also do another two educational visits to Llanfihangel School in Montgomeryshire which is threatened with closure and also to meet with parents in Howey in Radnorshire another closure threatened school. .The Rainbow Alliance would have put more money into the small schools fund, which would have helped these schools.

I also hold surgeries in the patch and go out with Nick Bardsley who is putting up a superb fight for us in a local government by election. The weather on Thursday is brilliant but as awful on Friday.
Well done to Glyn on his selection. The news was well received in the area.

On Tuesday evening I go over to the National Museum and Gallery for the official opening of the ‘Industry to Impressionism’ exhibition whose aim it is to tell the remarkable story of the Davies sisters, Gwendoline and Margaret, and their travels in Europe purchasing pictures which they subsequently gave to the nation and which are now housed in the National Museum and Gallery in Cathays Park. It is an exhibition which demonstrates their vision and idealism.

 
I speak to Mike Toobey of the Museum and he tells me that the conception of this exhibition was some six years ago and that there has been an enormous amount of research and delving into archives, not least in the Davies family home in Llandinam. 

 
I speak to Bee Davies who confirms that she and her husband have been spending a lot of time and how interesting it has been discovering many items that they hadn’t known about or not known of their relevance, which are now part of this exhibition. 

 
Of course, the Davies money was mostly from Rhondda coal, but it is marvellous that their philanthropy has meant that we have these wonderful paintings, the best collection of impressionists outside of France, housed here in our capital city.  It is my belief, and has been for a long while, that we need a National Gallery to show off the treasures that we hold in Wales.  I think that this should be the project for a major public building for this decade, just as the WMC was for the last decade. 

 
There are m there for the official opening of this exhibition.  It is actually already open to the public and will remain open until January 2008, and it is certainly worth a visit, and I would urge people to spend many hours going around and studying all of the many interesting items that tell the background of the Davies sisters travels through Europe at the time of the First World War (they served with the Red Cross in France) and its aftermath. 

 
I also managed to have a word with Dai Smith, the Chairman of the Arts Council, about the funding of the Wyeside in Builth in my area.  This important cultural centre in Builth Wells is in need of funding. 

 
Well done to Paul Loveluck, Michael Houlihan and the staff of the National Museum and Gallery for this terrific exhibition, and many thanks to Lord Davies and his family for their obvious generosity.

 
We are, indeed, very fortunate. 

In Brecon and Radnorshire, Conservative functions are like London buses, they all come along together and this weekend is no exception as on Monday evening there was an extremely well attended function in Erwood at the home of Yolande and Jeremy Jaquet on the banks of the Rive Wye, with in excess of 100 people there, to hear Jesse Norman, the candidate for Hereford, speak.  Jesse is clearly well positioned to win Hereford and is a very effective speaker and clearly has been campaigning hard in Hereford too.  Paul Keetch, whom I was sorry to hear is extremely unwell at present, is standing down at the next election in any event, so there will be a change of MP in the seat. 

 
The membership is in good form, very cheerful about the Party’s prospects and very happy with the leadership in Westminster and also with the way things are unfolding in the Assembly - which is good news for us. 

 
The River Wye is in full flood at the moment, moving very quickly and clearly the rains that we have had have swollen the river, but it is a balmy evening and standing on the banks of the river it is extremely pleasant away from the traffic,.

In Brecon and Radnorshire, Conservative functions are like London buses, they all come along together and this weekend is no exception as on Monday evening there was an extremely well attended function in Erwood at the home of Yolande and Jeremy Jaquet on the banks of the Rive Wye, with in excess of 100 people there, to hear Jesse Norman, the candidate for Hereford, speak.  Jesse is clearly well positioned to win Hereford and is a very effective speaker and clearly has been campaigning hard in Hereford too.  Paul Keetch, whom I was sorry to hear is extremely unwell at present, is standing down at the next election in any event, so there will be a change of MP in the seat. 
The membership is in good form, very cheerful about the Party’s prospects and very happy with the leadership in Westminster and also with the way things are unfolding in the Assembly - which is good news for us. 
The River Wye is in full flood at the moment, moving very quickly and clearly the rains that we have had have swollen the river, but it is a balmy evening and standing on the banks of the river it is extremely pleasant away from the traffic,.

I could not attend the Annual General Meeting this year though from many reports I received it was clearly a good one. 

Jonathan Evans was guest speaker and delivered an excellent speech by all accounts. Jonathan is a good loyal friend and has been a tower of strength in supporting me in our endeavours to make the party more Welsh and in pursuing the prospect of a rainbow alliance. 

Jonathan is now seeking the nomination for Westminster in Cardiff North and will clearly be a first class ambassador for Wales at Westminster. It will certainly be Wales’ loss in Europe though, where Jonathan has worked fiendishly hard within the party and across party barriers to promote Welsh interests. 

The party has got back its appetite for power and is united and in good shape. 

This was apparent too at the constituency lunch I attended in New Radnor on Sunday. Well done to Owen Jones and his committee for such a good turnout and such a superb meal– shame about the weather– I blame the government! 

I spoke and so did Andrew Davies (the good guy not the Swansea one). Andrew is, of course, no stranger to Brecon and Radnorshire as he was a very effective candidate here in 2005. 

It was very clear from speaking to people that there is much disappointment at the lack of the rainbow and people blaming the Lib Dems especially those who blocked the deal at Llandod, They bear a heavy cross. 

I was saddened but not surprised at Sir Eric Howell’s attack on his old party in today’s Western Mail. 

Eric has given superb service to the Conservative party over the years but he has been out of sympathy for some time with the changing face of the party and not least with the Welsh and moderate approach that the party has pursued in Cardiff Bay. 

Eric campaigned against our candidate, Angela Burns, in the recent Assembly elections. Angela achieved a magnificent swing in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire and the independent backed by Eric trailed the field. 

I can imagine that the rainbow alliance that I pursued in Cardiff Bay would have been poison to Eric but I believe it was the best prospect of promoting Welsh enterprise, of encouraging private public-partnership, of nurturing our culture and of preserving Welsh Conservative successes like no top up fees for Welsh students. 

I am sure some of our political opponents (particularly those in the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru who opposed a rainbow alliance) would love us to take a more right wing stance and so to desert the centre ground. 

That is not going to happen!