Former Ceredigion MP Simon Thomas is Ieuan Wyn Jones' first appointment as a Special Adviser.
Mr Thomas, who was distraught at losing his seat at Westminster by just 219 votes to the Lib Dems in 2005, belonged to the new generation of politicians.
When he won the Ceredigion by-election in 2000, he became the only male MP to wear an earring in the House.
UPDATE: BBC political journalist and presenter Rhuanedd Richards will be Plaid's second SpAd.
Mr Thomas will advise Plaid ministers on economic development and rural affairs and act as a link between cabinet and party.
He was spotted at the Royal Welsh showground getting a feel for his new role before officially starting his new job in August.
He said: “It’s been hellish getting here today through the traffic but there’s a fair crowd. I’m with Ieuan here today and I’ll be starting the job sometime in August when the notice has run out on my present job.
“There may be another appointment as special adviser.
“We are determined to make this work and we need to skill ourselves up.”
A quick count of official engagements for Assembly ministers at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd revealed Labour 26, Plaid 11.
Sustainabilty minster Jane Davidson was up for 19 visits on the showground alone, with education minster Jane Hutt allocated seven.
Contrast this with Plaid Cymru’s newly appointed rural affairs minister Elin Jones whose diary contained just four events, including one with deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, who had five engagements scheduled.
Plaid’s heritage minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas, the new minister for fun, managed two engagements.
The junior partners in the coalition government might need some advice on maintaining their public profile now the party’s highly-regarded communications chief Alun Shurmer has departed for a top job in BBC Wales.
Ms Richards travels in the opposite direction from BBC Wales.
dazedandconfused wrote...
So is this the same Simon Thomas who generated such lethargy that Plaid managed to lose what they had worked so hard to gain? The same Simon Thomas who thought he could walk in as a regional Assembly member, but failed to impress the selectors - or then make any impact on anyone, especially the voters? Is this the very same Simon Thomas who wrote the Plaid manifesto and then said - after he lost - that the manifesto was to blame and needed re-writing? In fact didn't he blamed everyone but himself? And then recently he crawled out of the woodwork, advocating coalition with the Tories. Perfectly clear how he ends up advising Ieuan Wyn Jones now that Plaid are in with Labour. Must have some really special advice to give.
Posted by: dazedandconfused | July 24, 2007 11:59 AM