Rod Richards was never one to dodge a good argument.
The ex-Welsh Office Minister and once leader of the Welsh Conservatives was often embroiled in controversy.
Now, with impeccable timing, he has revealed his “positive decision” not to vote Tory in the Assembly election - while simultaneously taking a side-swipe at a past leadership rival - in an interview with the Parliamentary Monitor magazine.
Mr Richards said in the interview publish today: “I once described the Welsh Assembly, of which I was a member, as a ‘pussycat’s parlour’ and I’m afraid that is still the case.
“Even more than the House of Commons the Assembly suffers from people whose backgrounds don’t enhance or enrich the debate.
"As for the Conservative group leader Nick Bourne I have no regard for him whatsoever.
“I will not be voting in the Assembly elections because nobody standing represents me or my views and I have taken a positive decision to abstain which shows my disdain for the way the Assembly is operating.
"I certainly won’t be voting Conservative because they don’t deserve it and have no credibility in my view.”
Mr Richards claims career politicians at Westminster as well as the Assembly are damaging debate.
“I regret the fact that these days all politicians from all parties are basically cardboard cut-outs.
“As a result our political culture has become too sterile and politically correct.
"That is part of a cultural shift in which you have three or four politicians from apparently different parties and they not only say the same things in terms of meaning but they use the same suppressed language.
"They are so tightly briefed and controlled that they are unable to express themselves," he added.
