Rhodri Morgan took a swig from a bottle of Clear Red Water as Welsh Labour launched its manifesto for the Assembly elections in its traditional Valleys heartlands at New Tredegar.
"Actually, it's not bad. I recommend it," he said.
The First Minister was flanked by Welsh Secretary Peter Hain but for some reason didn’t offer him the bottle - which from a short distance smelled like raspberries.
The Big New Idea was for ‘Mobile Mammas’, cooperatives of local women to offer childcare services to single parents to help them to keep their jobs.
Labour launched its manifesto at The Children’s Space, an example of the sort of integrated community facility which is at the heart of its plans for the next Assembly Government.
Kids who attended the launch competed to find examples of Labour’s policies in the garden outside and quickly uncovered the bottle which was handed to the safe-keeping of the first minister.
Rhodri Morgan outlined 11 key pledges which he hopes will attract reluctant Labour voters to the polls on May 3.
Highlights included 25,000 apprenticeships, an extra children’s bond of £50 or £100 for a low income family, maximum 26 weeks NHS waiting times for treatment, £20m for youth services, 6,500 new affordable homes, and £16m to clean up cities, towns and villages and discounted rail travel for pensioners..
“There’s plenty of Labour votes throughout Wales to give us a majority, the issue is to try to ensure that if they want Labour values, Labour administration, and policies they have to come out and vote for them,” Mr Morgan said.
Lib Dems said: “The so-called “eleven for eleven” is a line-up assembled more for the Nationwide Conference than for the Champions League.”
The Conservatives said: “Labour’s manifesto is a cruel deception from start to finish. Based on past experience, most of these promises will never be delivered.”
Plaid Cymru said it was “an “idea free zone”. “Apart for a penchant for alliteration, Labour’s manifesto including “Mobile Mammas” and “Tidy Towns”, shows little vision or ambition for a third term of office.”
