Former Welsh secretary Ron Davies was back in the Welsh Assembly launching a bid to return to frontline politics as an Independent.
Mr Davies, who is standing in his old Labour constituency of Caerphilly, believed that Independents might yet have an influential role in a new Assembly where no party has overall control. He even offered to become First Minister in a coalition - if elected.
The man credited as the ‘architect of devolution’ in Wales is now the driving force behind a charter for independent candidates in the Assembly elections setting out nine shared left of centre values.
Wrexham’s ex-Labour rebel John Marek was among the signatories.
Mr Davies left Tony Blair’s Cabinet in 1998 after a “moment of madness” on Clapham Common and quit the Assembly in 2003 after further tabloid claims about his private life.
The former AM and MP who left the Labour Party had some typically outspoken views on the ‘process’ of devolution and questioned the present Labour leadership's role in ‘nation building’.
“For the last eight years the Labour Party has been down-playing the Government of Wales, what we have had is more the administration of Wales.
“Now they are telling their supporters it’s a matter of life or death.
“But that’s not chiming with people on the doorstep - they don’t believe that the Tories are going to get back with anyone like John Redwood.
“Even though there’s a high level of understanding there’s an election in May, there’s lower levels of engagement in what we might call Labour voters.
“And May 3 may deliver some interesting results.”
I asked him, if elected, would Ron Davies be willing to serve in a coalition Government of Wales under Conservative leader Nick Bourne. He replied: “Nick Bourne might serve in a cabinet with me as First Minister.”
