Saturday, July 02, 2005
Knives and forks at dawn
Another report by the Western Mail which does not appear to have an electronic version, concerns a power struggle between two Assembly Government Ministers over the Welsh Development Agency. The newspaper speculates that this dispute is being played out as a proxy for the contest to succeed Rhodri Morgan, when he eventually calls it a day.
The Welsh Foods Directorate currently sits within the WDA but is accountable to Carwyn Jones, the Minister for the Environment, Planning and the Countryside (A.K.A. the Minister for eating farm breakfasts). As the WDA is to be brought in-house in April a bid was made by the Economic Development Minister, Andrew Davies, to assume control over all of its functions including food. However, the First Minister has now overruled this audacity and stipulated that the unit should stay within and be funded by Mr. Davies' Economic and Transport Division, but be answerable to Carwyn Jones.
As interesting as this little spat is, one has to question whether it justifies the best part of a page in the Western Mail. It is after all obvious to all who know him that any attempt to separate Carwyn Jones from his responsibilities for food is bound to fail.
The Welsh Foods Directorate currently sits within the WDA but is accountable to Carwyn Jones, the Minister for the Environment, Planning and the Countryside (A.K.A. the Minister for eating farm breakfasts). As the WDA is to be brought in-house in April a bid was made by the Economic Development Minister, Andrew Davies, to assume control over all of its functions including food. However, the First Minister has now overruled this audacity and stipulated that the unit should stay within and be funded by Mr. Davies' Economic and Transport Division, but be answerable to Carwyn Jones.
As interesting as this little spat is, one has to question whether it justifies the best part of a page in the Western Mail. It is after all obvious to all who know him that any attempt to separate Carwyn Jones from his responsibilities for food is bound to fail.
